New London Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio and the man who seeks to replace him, Councilor Michael Passero, share at least one view - they both think the other is already desperate.

"He must be desperate," both said in separate interviews about the grenades they tossed at each other about where funding and support is coming for their campaigns.

Imagine how desperate things may grow a few months from now. The two men are competing for the Democratic nomination and the primary is not until Sept. 16.

His honor lobbed the first pineapple. During his first term he has polished his image as a progressive Democrat in this Democratic city (though he was once a Rhode Island Republican). He was the first mayor in the state to set a $10.10 minimum wage for city workers, a move affecting a small portion of the city workforce. He stood strongly with labor during the strike and subsequent lockout at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in the city.

Finizio has won the endorsement of the L+M unions representing registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and technicians, and health-care workers. He is also endorsed by AFT Connecticut, Carpenters Local 24, CWA Local 1298 (representing communications workers), and the AFSCME Public Works local.

In contrast, the Finizio campaign was happy to point out to me in an email last week that two prominent Republican lobbyists were among the 19 people listed as co-sponsors of the Jan. 12 fundraiser held at Tony D's for the Passero campaign, bringing in about $10,000, according to the candidate. The next campaign financing disclosure documents are due April 10.

One of the Republican lobbyists is Nicole R. Griffin, former member of the Rowland and Rell administrations and former political director for the Connecticut Republican Party. She has donated $250 to the Passero campaign. The other GOP lobbyist/Passero backer is Mark F. Brennan, also part of the Rowland team.

As a lobbyist for the Connecticut Restaurant Association, Griffin is fighting labor's efforts to increase the minimum wage for servers. Griffin testified at a legislative hearing Thursday that the proposed $3.82 per hour raises would be "a big cost" for restaurants and bars.

The Levin connection

Griffin and Brennan do indeed seem to be an odd couple to lean on when trying to secure a Democratic nomination in New London. The connection appears to be Jay Levin, former councilor, ceremonial mayor, unsuccessful attorney general candidate and Democratic Party powerbroker who is working to raise money for Passero. Levin, another co-sponsor of the Tony D night, was a central figure in New London's eminent domain debacle.

In his book, "The Little Pink House," author Jeff Benedict points to Levin as the man responsible for putting NLDC in charge of Fort Trumbull redevelopment and the use of eminent domain.

"For Levin, the challenge was now to identify a device, a legal mechanism that would somehow enable the governor's administration (Rowland) to control a massive development project without interference from the city," wrote Benedict in 2009. The device was NLDC.

Levin, Griffin and Brennan work at the same lobbying firm - Levin, Powers & Brennan, LLC. The triumvir feeds into Finizio's characterization that those backing Passero want to take the city back into the hands of the few powerfully connected.

Passero says he welcomes support from Republicans as well as Democrats and that his campaign has broad support in the business community. "I'm honored to be supported by people who have fundamental disagreements with me on particular issues, like the minimum wage."

Klewin connection

In any event, the mayor shouldn't be tossing grenades from his own flimsy campaign house, said the challenger. In particular, he pointed to the $1,000 maximum donations Finizio received from three members of Klewin Construction, the company that happens to have prime developer status for city-owned Parcel J at the corner of Bank and Howard streets.

It's a conflict, said Passero.

He said Finizio overstepped his authority in February 2013 when he gave Klewin preferred developer status without consulting the council.

Economic Development Coordinator Ned Hammond tossed himself on that grenade. He told me he advised the mayor that he had the authority to grant prime developer status because in 2008 the council had dissolved the development agency overseeing the parcel.

A June 25, 2013, email from city attorney Jeffrey T. Londregan to Hammond, obtained through a freedom of information request, backed this position. Londregan wrote that "decisions of prime developer rested with the city manager; and logically that responsibility transferred to the mayor with the change in government."

The debate became irrelevant when the council voted in November 2013 to support extending Klewin's prime developer status. The project remains stalled, apparently for lack of financing.

It is a reach for Passero to try to make an issue of Finizio's granting Klewin exclusive rights to develop the lot - no one else was interested. But he's right that the mayor's acceptance of donations from a developer working to do business with the city is a conflict. Finizio says it will not influence his administration's decisions, but the appearance is not good.

The exchange reflects the theme of the two campaigns; Finizio contending Passero would drag the city back, Passero painting the incumbent as a power-hungry incompetent opportunist.

This contest is heating up even as winter's chill lingers. By summer, it should be steaming.

Paul Choiniere is the editorial page editor.

Twitter: @Paul_Choineire