by Gov. Dannel Malloy (D-CT) is probably none too happy over Independent candidate Joe Visconti dropping out of the race for governor and endorsing Republican challenger Tom Foley. A recent Quinnipiac University poll had Foley and Malloy tied with Visconti pulling in 7 percent. However, if Visconti was out of the race, the Republican Foley moved into the lead.
Foley described Visconti’s move and endorsement as a surprise.
“I wasn’t expecting to hear from him, but I’m glad I did,” Foley said at the sports bar. “I think an endorsement – bringing everybody together behind my candidacy [for] voting Gov. Malloy out of office for the record he has – is very important to me. [Visconti has] made a commitment to get a message to all his supporters to vote for me. He’s already out on the Internet and social media, telling his supporters to vote for me.”
The Malloy campaign characterized the withdrawal and endorsement as further proof that Foley will double down on his promise to repeal the draconian post-Newtown laws. These laws were pushed and signed by Malloy.
“Tom Foley just doubled down on his plans to repeal Connecticut’s strict smart gun law that has made our neighborhoods, our schools and our streets safer,” Malloy spokesman Mark Bergman said. “Make no mistake, Tom Foley is in the pocket of the right wing extreme gun lobby, and today’s announcement is further proof.”
Foley had received the endorsement of the Connecticut Citizens Defense League.
David Codrea has written extensively on this race. He noted that many Connecticut gun rights activists wondered about Visconti’s commitment to the Second Amendment and wonder if his being in the race wasn’t just an effort to torpedo Tom Foley.
While it comes late in the campaign and with his name remaining on the ballot, Visconti’s move may, just maybe, be enough to put Foley over the top. As it is, Mike Bloomberg has invested $1.7 million in getting Malloy re-elected. Malloy is right up there with John Hickenlooper on the list of Democratic governors I’d like to see defeated on Tuesday.
H/T David Codrea