The race for governor is a tight one among some readers of The Day.

Between current Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont and Republican candidate Bob Stefanowski, who lost to Lamont in the last gubernatorial race in 2018, Day readers’ preferences are essentially split between the Greenwich businessman and current governor and the Madison businessman.

We asked readers: Who do you prefer in the race for governor, Lamont or Stefanowski and why? Which of the two candidates will better handle the economy and why? And is Lamont’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic an important campaign issue to you, why or why not?

Stefanowski has stayed in the public eye since his loss to Lamont, and Lamont’s administration has been praised by both Democrats and Republicans for his handling of the pandemic. Campaign season is already here, nine months from Election Day, and Stefanowski’s team is regularly sending out statements attacking Lamont.

Day reader Michael Parahus said they favor Stefanowski because “Connecticut has been controlled by the Democrats for far too many years and in general their taxation has made Connecticut one of the least affordable states to live in.”

Parahus isn’t alone. Stefanowski supporters think he will cut taxes. Lamont has promised during his tenure and his last campaign not to implement new taxes and recently came out with a tax cut proposal. The center of Stefanowski’s previous campaign for governor called for eliminating the state income tax, a roundly criticized plan and one that he has backed away from this election.

Some respondents, including Courtney Palumbo, said they felt the repeated extension of Lamont’s emergency powers was an example of government overreach.

Laura Lefko said she is “concerned about rising crime, taxes and a shrinking business community to name just a few issues.”

“My first thought is, the Democrats who have run this state for years now got us where we are today, so why not try something new?” Lefko said. “Seriously, Bob Stefanowski has a strong business background at the highest levels with a high success rate ... He has nothing to gain financially by being Governor.”

Noreen Kokoruda said Stefanowski will “know how to work with the legislature to stop their extreme actions.”

“On the second day after Lamont first announced he was running in 2018, he met with the unions and announced that, ‘I have your back,’ and he limited himself and economic growth that day,” Kokoruda said. “Bob will work with the union but he will never allow them the control that Lamont has allowed.”

Still, at least half of the respondents said they favor Lamont.

“Although I am having second thoughts about Lamont with the recent School Construction and State Pier revelations, Mr. Stefanowski is another rich business person who has no idea how to manage a government that is answerable to the people,” Bill Sheehan said. “His comment about auditing all of the state agencies in his intro ad is indicative of his lack of knowledge of government and its responsibilities.”

The State Contracting Standards Board recently completed an investigation into the Connecticut Port Authority and criticized past practices. In addition, federal authorities are requesting documents associated with projects overseen by Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, former head of the state’s Office of School Construction Grants and Review. Diamantis was involved in numerous municipal school construction projects that include New London’s high and middle schools, with costs totaling more than $150 million.

Day reader Lynn Young said she supports Lamont, “However, he is beginning to show signs of pandering to the cities and may well make me change my mind if it doesn't stop.” She didn’t name a candidate when asked who would be better on the economy.

“I’m not sure either one can overcome the incompetence of the legislature, but the one willing to take on the public unions, cut the budget or at least stop growing it will do a better job,” Young said.

Anne Nelson said Lamont has done a “great job” and helped “stabilize” the state during the pandemic. “Bob is a loan shark, I don't trust him and he is a Republican. I am hard pressed to vote for any of them for they have betrayed their country and the American people,” she said.

Dean Morse has the same animosity toward the GOP. “I would never vote for a member of the GOP, not ever. The GOP stands for everything I am against,” he said. “I have little faith regarding the intentions of anyone seeking public office, as all we see are individuals who are self-serving and those who attempt to run an administration in secrecy. I am a Democrat but I see corruption everywhere in politics.”

William Kenny said he’s “yet to see any evidence” that Stefanowski has “an even rudimentary understanding of state government.” He said Lamont will better manage the state’s economy because Democrats are in control of the legislature, so ideas have a greater chance of becoming law.

One respondent, Bryant Evans, said he is not supporting either candidate because “they’re both crooked.”

“They will do what’s best for themself or their friends,” he added.

Pandemic on the ballot

Republicans and Stefanowski supporters were more tepid in their assessment of Lamont’s managing of the pandemic. Almost all respondents from all political persuasions agreed it was a campaign issue.

“Public health and safety is of course important. He's had some missteps. Missteps often reveal lack of planning. While a Republican, I supported mask mandates and definitely supported vaccinations,” Parahus said. “There is a fine line between public health and safety and freedom of choice. Too often in the USA the freedom of choice argument trumps public safety and I don't necessarily think that's a good thing.”

Respondent Robert Streb said that the pandemic isn’t a campaign issue to him and Lamont’s handling of it was “way over the top.”

Lefko said she doesn’t agree with the way the governor handled the pandemic. “Lamont did the same thing that Cuomo did, sending sick people back to nursing homes, but somehow has avoided accountability for that,” she said. “The mask mandate and his overly long held emergency powers are another issue for me.”

“Allowing local schools to decide to stay open or close was the right thing to do,” Kokoruda said of Lamont, but “His lack of knowing how to procure masks, tests, gowns was terrible in the beginning. It showed the weakness of his handpicked staff.”

Lamont has been effusive in his praise for his commissioners and his cabinet, crediting them for the state’s ability to obtain personal protective equipment and tests ahead of other states.

“Lamont has done an outstanding job managing the pandemic,” Sheehan said. “He seems to sense the unrest among the ‘natives’ and is kicking the decisions down to the local officials and health districts based on the status of the COVID cases and hospitalizations in the local area. What is necessary in New Haven may not be necessary in New London.”

Morse said Lamont has done “a first-rate job in trying to educate people about COVID.”

“He has had the best interests of the people and their safety,” Morse continued. “It is a shame we have so many blatantly ignorant parents who defy masks and fight to have their children maskless in an environment where they may be infected and become deathly sick.”

Kenny also took exception to the conservative backlash toward masking and vaccination, and said pandemic management is very high on his list of concerns. “The whole 'free-dumb' stance of so much of the GOP is off-putting, to put it mildly,” he said.

Nelson said Lamont’s pandemic response “shows what he is made of” and that the governor “did a very good job for Connecticut.”

Evans posited that Lamont is “just letting all the towns do what they want so he won’t look like the bad guy.”

Leading up to the election, we'll want to exchange emails and phone calls, and maybe even meet with a group of respondents in person to discuss your views on the gubernatorial candidates. We hope to have substantive — and civil — conversations about specific issues including the economy, the coronavirus pandemic and issues that directly affect our area. Participants will be required to speak on the record and have their names used in news stories. We hope to attract residents who are registered as Democrats and Republicans, as well as those who identify as independent or a member of a third party.

Please fill out the form below to start the conversation or email Staff Writer Sten Spinella at s.spinella@theday.com.

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