With Kevin Lembo, Ted Kennedy Jr., Nancy Wyman, Chris Mattei, Dan Drew, Dita Bhargava, George Jepsen, and even Failed Governor Dan Malloy himself all sitting out of the 2018 Connecticut governor’s race, Democrats find themselves stuck with a small group of third and fourth choice candidates to lead their party. The latest Democrat to make his candidacy official is Jonathan Harris, a noted Malloy Enabler who has spent years pushing high-tax, anti-jobs policies.
Harris ran the Connecticut State Democrat Party during Malloy’s 2014 gubernatorial campaign, during which time the party faced accusations of “illegally funneling contributions from state contractors” to support Malloy. Harris also worked in Malloy’s administration for three years, helping to implement policies that have resulted in fiscal crisis and economic decline.
With all of the Democrats’ top-tier gubernatorial recruits refusing to run for fear of being associated with Malloy’s toxic legacy, the party finds itself with increasingly fewer options for the November election. But unfortunately for Democrats, Jonathan Harris’ close ties to America’s most unpopular governor will only further diminish their chances of victory.
The CT Mirror reports:
“Jonathan Harris, who was executive director of the Connecticut Democratic Party during Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s re-election campaign in 2014 and then oversaw the Department of Consumer Protection for three years, joined the evolving field of Democratic candidates for governor Saturday…
His tenure as executive director helped him establish relationships with many Democrats who will be convention delegates in May, but it also reinforced his connection to Malloy, who is leaving office with fewer than 25 percent of voters approving his performance…
But Republicans accused the party of illegally funneling contributions from state contractors, who are barred from giving to state races, into a federal account to support the re-election of Malloy. After Harris left the job, the party dug in, fighting the authority of the State Elections Enforcement Commission to subpoena party emails and fundraising documents.
