As the campaign for mayor in New London moves past the nominating process and focus turns to the Democratic primary on Sept. 16, Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio will seek to establish some clear policy distinctions between himself and the party nominee, Councilor Michael Passero.

It was no surprise when the Democratic Town Committee on Monday voted 39-17 to nominate Passero. Back in January 2014, Passero and his supporters within the town committee blindsided Finizio with a vote that dumped the mayor and some of his backers from the committee. The deck was stacked then.

The mayor is betting that for a second straight campaign he can convince Democratic voters that he is the agent of change against the old-guard establishment.

In his campaign platform “Our Way Forward,” Finizio makes the case he would be tougher on police misconduct than his primary opponent, a city firefighter. He points to his firing of an officer for shooting an unarmed suspect. When the State Board of Mediation and Arbitration reversed that decision and ordered the officer reinstated, concluding he had reasons to fear for his safety, Finizio sought to appeal, but Passero joined a 4-3 council majority in blocking it.

An appeal would have been a long shot, making the vote to stop the legal fight a practical decision. But in this community with its large minority population, and given the heightened sensitivity nationally to instances of police misconduct, Finizio — who is also pushing for police officer body cameras — sees an opening to exploit.

The incumbent also dredges up that old specter, the New London Development Corp., referring the use of that name and giving only brief reference to the sanitized moniker adopted during his first term, Renaissance City Development Association.

Finizio reiterates his desire to abolish the quasi-public development agency and transfer control of development efforts in Fort Trumbull to the city, while acknowledging he has lacked the votes to do so. Conversely, Passero is interested in expanding the agency’s reach, allowing it to work on development elsewhere in the city.

Ten years after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld seizing properties by eminent domain in the Fort Trumbull section, Finizio is hoping the taint still attached to NLDC (now RCDA) will convince Democratic voters Passero’s idea is a stinker. Passero, sensing city residents are desperate to see some economic growth, will view his approach as pragmatic and the mayor’s proposal as an attempt to consolidate power.

Expect the incumbent to also try to criticize Passero on education reform, though any differences are in fact, minor. Finizio references his strong backing for the planned conversion of New London to an all-magnet-schools district. Passero has been more cautious, at one juncture trying to separate a vote on the reconstruction and modernization of New London High School from the rest of the plan.

In November 2014, voters overwhelmingly authorized up to $168 million in bonding for the comprehensive magnet-school plan pushed by Finizio, including renovating the high school and Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School, and constructing a science, technology, engineering and math middle school.

These are legitimate issues over which to fight for the endorsement of Democratic voters in this strongly Democratic city.

The Passero campaign is convinced, however, that the overriding issue is Finizio’s competency — or, in its opinion, the lack thereof — and its candidate will continue to turn the focus there.

Finizio suspended his police chief with pay for 10 months, only to put her back on the job when an investigation failed to substantiate his claims against her.

When the council did not agree with him on the budget, Finizio threatened to bring in state Comptroller Kevin Lembo to set them straight, only to have Lembo’s office tell me that was a mischaracterization of a brief conversation the mayor had with the comptroller. During that recent budget process, Finizio’s push for a large tax increase gave Passero the opportunity to act as the taxpayers' protector, working to cut it back. Finizio then vetoed the resulting budget only to watch a council dominated by Democrats back Passero in a 7-0 override.

Underlining the competency issue is the mayor’s record of choosing appointees to his administration based more on loyalty and connections than experience. And don’t forget Finizio’s pledge not to run for re-election and subsequent reversal.

These are only a few examples. As skillful a campaigner as Finizio proved to be four years ago, he has much to overcome in this primary contest. His hope rests in turning the discussion to issues of his choosing and away from the trauma and drama that characterized much of his first term.

Paul Choiniere is the editorial page editor.

Twitter: @Paul_Choiniere