Several candidates for governor sat down for an interview-style forum at the University of Hartford Thursday night.
Three Republicans and one Democrat took to the stage one at a time to answer questions, and left political sparring outside.
Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, the endorsed Republican candidate, said that while he’s not one to shy away from a fight, his focus is on bringing people together.
“It’s going to be my job as this state’s next governor to present to everybody a community that we can grow our economy and put people back to work. You come here we’ll put you back to work," he said.
The Democrats’ endorsed candidate Ned Lamont also spoke about the need to get the state growing again, and said it’s important to keep the discourse civil.
“Showing respect for your greatest opponent, showing respect for your allies, showing respect for people who are different than you and listen. We haven’t had a government that listens in a long time and we need a governor who listens as well,” Lamont said.
Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, who is also running, was not invited to participate because he did not qualify for the primary without petitioning. The Democrat spoke with staff outside about what he felt was an unjust rule, but ultimately watched from the audience.
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“I was out getting signatures, 25,000 signatures from Democrats across Connecticut who validated my candidacy,” he said.
Two other candidates that did qualify without petition – Republicans Tim Herbst and Steve Obsitnik, both discussed how they’d lead the state.
“You can’t be afraid to say what you think and mean what you say, you can’t be afraid to be honest and straightforward with people and you can’t be afraid to be authentic,” Herbst said.
“I worked in the military, I created good jobs I have a plan for Connecticut and this is about character and it's about the mission," Obsitnik said.
