Hartford Mayor's Race Enters Final Day

The race for Hartford Mayor entered its final day as three affiliated party candidates look to win the top job in the city.

Two candidates, Republican Ted Cannon and Working Families Party nominee Joel Cruz, admit that the Democrat in the race, Luke Bronin, has had a financial strength that they couldn't match during the campaign.

“I think from my end, I can’t go toe to toe with him" said Joel Cruz Jr., a current member of the Hartford City Council.

Cruz spent his day handing out flyers and knocking on doors in Hartford's North End. He says it's his authentic background that identifies with voters.

“I don’t just talk about the issues. I live the issues. I don’t just talk about the challenges of Hartford, I live the challenges. I know what it is to live in this city. I know what poverty looks like. I know what it feels like. My wife was homeless at 11 years old. We know what it looks like, and know what it feels like.”

Ted Cannon is a businessman who lives in Hartford's West End. He says a change of thinking is needed in city hall.

“Take fiscal responsibility for an example, that’s something that has been lacking in city hall for a very very long time" he said.

Cannon faces one of the steepest climbs among the three candidates because there are so few registered Republicans in Hartford. He says that's an obstacle he could tackle.

“I understand that we’re an underdog but at the same time I feel so strongly about our message that, you know, I have to be confident.”

Finally, Luke Bronin has amassed more than $1 million for the mayor's race, an unprecedented amount of money in a local Connecticut election.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars came from donors outside the city of Hartford and in some cases came from donors outside the state of Connecticut.

Bronin says many people care about Hartford.

“I think what it reflects is a lot of people believe in the city of Hartford and they want to see a change" Bronin said.

Bronin could be seen all over the airwaves in the lead up to the Democratic Primary against incumbent Mayor Pedro Segarra, that he eventually won.

The Democrat spent hundreds of thousands on television advertising, another rarity in a municipal election.

Since the primary, Bronin has been close to silent on television. He conceded that the most influence in the Hartford Mayor's race likely came during the primary with Democrats who far outnumber other parties in registered voters.

“There’s no question that there’s a Democratic advantage in the city," Bronin said. He added that he's continued to knock on doors citywide. "Every vote counts and Democrats can vote for any candidate of any party, so, we worked just as hard in the general as we had in the primary and are going to continue to do it through to the finish line.”

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