A Sad Day for Connecticut?

Mary Glassman, Ned Lamont, and his campaign spokesman would not return calls from Hartford Courant political reporter Chris Keating yesterday.  He wanted to ask them about what they spent Saturday telling others:  Glassman is abandoning her gubernatorial bid to join Lamont as his running mate.

Lamont and Glassman made calls yesterday to spread the news that Lamont will be the Simsbury Democrat’s third running mate in 4 years. A formal announcement comes Monday in New Britain.  Glassman, reached at home by Keating promised to return his call but did not.  No word on how Glassman is reconciling her enthusiastic support for public financing of campaigns with the millions Lamont’s pouring from his fortune into his campaign.  It could be thorny.

When asked two weeks ago about the challenging task of raising the $250,000 in small donations required to collect public funds, Glassman said “If we can’t do it, that sends a message that only millionaires can run for office, and that would be a sad day for Connecticut.” At the start of her the race for governor, Glassman declared, “Rejecting special interest money and entering the Governor’s office owing nothing to campaign donors is going to be vital to that task.  And that’s the way I intend to do it.”

Lamont has been soliciting and receiving large donations to help finance his campaign.