NO TRACTION FOR SLIPPERY LUKE

Slippery Luke gives up

In a move today that was not a surprise for many, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin abandoned his "exploratory" bid for Governor.

Bronin's sense of arrogance and political entitlement apparently collided today with reality, forcing Bronin to give up his run. Many observers, myself included, often wondered what Bronin's track record as Mayor was that made him feel he was competent enough to run for Governor. Bronin's two years in office as Hartford's  Mayor have not yielded much as far as vision for the City of Hartford's future.

A State engineered bailout of Hartford's crippled finances was largely orchestrated by Bronin's previous employer ,Governor Malloy, and the Connecticut Legislature. Although the bailout provides a short term fix for Hartford's finances, there has been very little, lasting structural change for City government.. Bronin was successful though in painting Hartford's Labor Unions as the major part of the problem in what many saw as a "union busting" effort as soon as he took office. Probably not the brightest move for someone considering a run for Statewide office, where Union support is critical for success.

 Bronin also showed that his word was less than honorable to the people of Hartford. Bronin had promised during the Mayoral campaign that he would complete his full four year term if he was elected, a promise that he quickly opted to break when he announced his  intent to run for Governor. Nopw that he decided to drop out of the Governor's race, his guilty conscience has apparently forced him to reconsider his Mayoral campaign promises.  According to a statement issued by the Bronin campaign,   "as I’ve considered the road ahead, I’ve kept my commitment to Hartford at the forefront of my mind.  After thinking hard and wrestling with this decision, I have decided to end my exploratory committee and stay focused on my work as Mayor.".

At least until another political opportunity for advancement comes along.
  
And for anyone keeping track, Bronin's Administration has had more turnover in staff than a Trump Whitehouse.

The Bronin campaign for Governor never seemed to gain much traction  statewide, and more importantly even less in Hartford. A major upset came a couple weeks ago when one of Bronin's contenders , Ned Lamont, received the endorsement of Connecticut's current Attorney General George Jepsen.

According to a source familiar with the Bronin campaign, a large amount of the campaign funds raised by Bronin were paid to the firm of another former Malloy insider, Global Strategies and Roy Occhiogrosso. A payment of $66,000 was listed on Bronin's recent campaign filings for "polling". According to the source, those polls showed Bronin running a fourth place finish to other Democratic candidates vying for the Governor's seat, behind Susan Bysiewicz, Ned Lamont, Joe Ganim and Jonathan Harris.

Although Bronin's "exit strategy" claimed that he made the decision to be able to focus on the needs of Hartford and devoting his time to be Mayor of Hartford, it seems like a convenient excuse for his sudden exit. The needs of the City of Hartford seemed to take a back seat recently as Bronin bounced across the State  attempting to garner support for his ultimately failed bid.

Here are the most recent financial  filings for Bronin's campaign.https://seec.ct.gov/eCrisReporting/Data/Attachment/Unassigned/SEEC30_April_10_Filing_55261.PDF

Here is the Bronin campaign's statement on his demise:

BRONIN DECIDES TO STAY FOCUSED ON WORK AS HARTFORD MAYOR

Says, "We’re making progress in our City every single day, and I’m excited to keep working to make a better future for Hartford a reality."

(HARTFORD, CT) – Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin today announced that he will continue serving as Hartford Mayor and will not enter the 2018 Governor’s race.  

“After four months spending evenings and weekends on the road all across our state, I’m confident that there is a path ahead in this primary and in this general election for our campaign.  We’ve gained strong support from delegates heading into the convention.  And thanks to thousands of supporters, we’ve raised enough money to be confident of reaching the threshold for public financing under the Citizens Election Program.  

“But as I’ve considered the road ahead, I’ve kept my commitment to Hartford at the forefront of my mind.  After thinking hard and wrestling with this decision, I have decided to end my exploratory committee and stay focused on my work as Mayor.  

“While our State may be at a critical moment, our city is, too.  Last fall, we were able to build new partnership with the State of Connecticut — marrying new financial assistance with long-term accountability.  I believe deeply that agreement was the right and responsible path, not just for Hartford but for Connecticut.  As legislators and others threaten to undo that work, I want to be able to make the case for maintaining that new partnership without regard for politics.  I want to fight as hard for Hartford in the coming months as I have over the past two years.  

“I also don’t want my status in this race to be a reason for people to condemn or politicize the agreement we reached with the State.  I don’t want anyone to undermine our City as a way of getting at me, and I cannot let Hartford’s future become the casualty of a political fight.  

“I want to thank the many people who supported my campaign, and the many Hartford residents who asked me to stay and continue the good and tough work we’re doing in our City.  We’re making progress in our City every single day, and I’m excited to keep working to make a better future for Hartford a reality.”