Capturing votes in the state's major cities, where Democratic power is concentrated here in Connecticut, will be critical to capturing the party's primary for governor. Businessman Ned Lamont is making it clear he will compete hard for that vote even if he is facing a former, successful mayor of a large city - Dannel Malloy.

At every opportunity, Malloy makes it a point to remind voters that he ran Connecticut's fourth largest city, Stamford, from 1995 through 2009, a period of tremendous economic growth there. Malloy's website lays claim to creating nearly 5,000 jobs during that time, helping make Stamford an international banking and financial services center, a top-five city in terms of concentration of Fortune 500 companies, all the while bucking a state trend that saw job growth stagnate.

Certainly leaders in other struggling cities in the state would be glad to see a Gov. Malloy sprinkle some of that fairy dust on their communities. Malloy's pitch that he has the formula to save cities will also appeal to municipal union employees who are threatened by growing calls among the electorate to cut government spending and by the prospect of reduced state aid in the coming years.

But not so fast, says Lamont, who made his riches in the cable communications industry. Malloy's success in luring Fortune 500 companies to move offices up the road from Manhattan to Stamford, with the help of state and local tax breaks, will not work in other Connecticut cities, he told me.

"We've been extremely fortunate in lower Fairfield County," said Lamont, who lives in Greenwich. "But the circumstances that led to success there do not work for New Britain, New London and New Haven." Other big city mayors, he said, agree.

Sure enough, on June 8 when Lamont unveiled his "Plan to Renew Connecticut Cities," joining him were New Haven Mayor John DeStefano and Hartford City Council President Pedro Segarra (filling in for Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez, who was busy with his corruption trial). Also backing Lamont is Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch.

DeStefano's shunning Malloy is not surprising, perhaps, given the two competed fiercely for the gubernatorial nomination in 2006.

DeStefano won, only to lose spectacularly to Gov. M. Jodi Rell in the general election. But Perez backed Malloy in 2006 and Finch's desertion has to be troubling.

The mayors appear to have greater confidence that Lamont, budget crisis or not, is more likely to come up with the money they need. Or perhaps they just want to back the guy with the most money and who is ahead in the polls.

In reality, both Lamont and Malloy share many of the same policy proposals for helping cities. They back greater spending to improve rail and bus service that can be more conducive to development in space-starved cities with limited parking.

They see education reform in urban schools, and better linking educational and vocational training to job creation, as among the keys. Both have championed property tax reform.

For his part, Malloy had worked hard to get support from Democratic leaders in many of the state's smaller cities, of which there are many.

Of course either man, if elected, will find their ability to do much of anything for the cities limited by the budget crises that will have to be the priority for whoever becomes governor.

The most interesting aspect of Lamont's city strategy may be that it demonstrates a political dexterity that was not present when he ran for Senate four years ago. He allowed one issue to dominate that campaign - his criticism of Sen. Joe Lieberman's support for the Iraq War. It worked well for him in the primary, but came off as shallow in the general election and contributed to Lieberman's victory.

This time Lamont has a dominant theme - a successful businessman who can translate that success into leading the state out of fiscal trouble - but he is not going to depend on it alone.

Lamont appears ready to compete on a broad spectrum of issues, including one that seemingly plays to his opponent's strength.

Paul Choiniere is editorial page editor.