Democratic candidates meet party faithful in Stonington

Stonington - Outside the LaGrua Center: the worst rainstorm in recent memory.

Inside, jokes about the weather and the Republicans, not necessarily in that order; a few battle cries sounded with all the furious bravado of a party distanced from the seat of power; and after the speeches, animated mingling of Democratic political candidates, party delegates and a handful of voters.

The deviled eggs spiked with green food coloring for St. Patrick's Day attracted a few bites, as did the prosciutto and melon hors d'oeuvres, but more people were talking than eating as candidates sporting corduroy jackets, the occasional tie, business-casual sweaters and pants suits circulated around the large room.

"Are we friends on Facebook?" Kevin Lembo, a candidate for lieutenant governor, asked delegate and former Groton Town Clerk Barbara Tarbox.

"No, we're not," Tarbox said.

"Well, we should be," Lembo offered.

Conversations like that one led to anything from a recitation of qualifications for office (gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy to Marjorie Calvert, a member of the Clinton Democratic Town Committee) to a pitch to attend more local meet-and-greets (gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont to Sandra Bragdon of Stonington borough).

"I voted for you," Bragdon told Lamont, referring to his unsuccessful run against U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman.

"Well, I want to give you the opportunity to do that again," Lamont said. "Get me up here to meet a few folks. I love doing that."

After that exchange, Bragdon confided she doesn't yet know whom she'll vote for.

"I have leanings, but I won't say where," she said.

The conversations that followed would definitely influence any future political action she takes, though, she said.

Most striking at this gathering of party insiders was the turnout of candidates for higher office. In addition to Lembo, all four candidates for governor showed, along with three candidates for attorney general, and four candidates for secretary of the state.

"It's a less formal setting than when you go to the town committee" to make your pitch, said state Rep. Denise Merrill, a candidate for secretary of the state. "At a town committee meeting, you get up and give a speech and there isn't as much time to talk to people."

Current officeholders on hand included U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who is running for U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd's seat, Comptroller Nancy Wyman, state Rep. Diana Urban, state Sen. Andrew Maynard and Stonington First Selectman Ed Haberek.

May 22 is the date set for endorsements at the state convention, said Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, who is running for attorney general.

"A lot of people here today will be delegates to the state convention," she said, explaining why it made sense for candidates challenging one another to meet in the same room. "There are only so many evenings to go to Democratic town committee meetings," she said.

During the speech-making, Wyman launched into an election-year rallying cry, noting there were "234 days to go" to run the Republicans out of Hartford and tackle the state's growing $518 million deficit.

"Who do you want to solve that problem?" she said. "It's not the Republicans."

Blumenthal urged the 150 people in the room to use old-fashioned "shoe-leather, boots on the ground" to get out the Democratic vote.

Also attending were longtime Simsbury First Selectwoman Mary Glassman and Ridgefield First Selectman Rudy Marconi, both candidates for governor; attorney general candidates George Jepsen and Cam Staples; and secretary of the state candidates Gerry Garcia, state Sen. Jonathon Harris and James Spallone.

p.daddona@theday.com