Thomas Breen photo
Martin Looney with Lamont Tuesday.
New Haven State Sen. Martin Looney endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont and his city-centered approach to economic development — but warned against a plan Lamont had supported just a few weeks ago to expand New Haven’s airport.
That endorsement with a caveat came during a Tuesday afternoon press conference at Lamont’s East Rock headquarters on the second floor of the Marlinworks building at 85 Willow St.
Looney, who represents the east side of New Haven and serves as the president pro tempore of the State Senate, stood alongside New Haven State Rep. and Deputy House Speaker Juan Candelaria and West Haven Mayor Nancy Rossi to offer their collective support for Lamont’s bid to become the Democratic nominee for governor.
Coming one day after Lamont convinced his primary rival-turned-teammate Susan Bysiewicz to drop her gubernatorial bid and run instead as lieutenant governor alongside Lamont, Tuesday’s round of endorsements represented the next step in Lamont’s successful consolidation of state Democratic support in the run-up to this weekend’s state party nominating convention in Hartford.
Lamont’s remaining challengers for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination are Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, former state Veterans Affairs Commissioner Sean Connolly, and retired liquor distribution executive Guy Smith. Ganim and Smith have both said that they are seeking to petition onto the August primary ballot if they do not win the party’s endorsement at the convention.
Looney said he is supporting Lamont for governor because of his city-centered approach to economic development, his support for labor rights, and his positive campaign style.
“His strategy involves building up economic development through effective education,” he said, “job creation programs, attracting businesses to the state, and convincing prospective employers outside of Connecticut that Connecticut is as good a place to do business as it has ever been.”
He praised Lamont as running a high-minded, purposeful, and inspiring campaign, and for promising to work with public and private-sector unions, as opposed to “scapegoating one segment of the population against another,” which he said was the Republican Party’s strategy.
Looney was asked if his endorsement of Lamont signaled an endorsement of a plan to extend Tweed-New Haven airport’s runway by 1,000 feet, which Lamont supported during a campaign event with Mayor Toni Harp at the airport several weeks ago but which failed to get a vote in the state legislature during the session that ended last week.
Looney said that his concerns about the local push to expand the airport remain unchanged.
“Unfortunately, it was a very late start in terms of the legislative timetable,” he said. He noted that Mayor Harp and other local supporters had not started pushing the proposed legislation until March. An April 25 community aldermanic meeting and the April 30 community meeting organized to build support, he said, simply ran up too close against the end of the legislative session on May 9.
“Everybody knew that nothing was going to happen on it this session,” he said, “even the proponents of the bill.”
Looney said that in order for the airport to thrive, the terminal has to be moved to the East Haven side so that traffic can be directed through Hemingway Avenue rather than the narrow residential streets on the New Haven side in Morris Cove.
“I’m pleased the city is looking to engage now and to do so with a more realistic timetable,” he said.
Lamont said he remains committed to the expansion of the local airport so long as neighbors are involved in the decision-making process.
“You do it in collaboration with the neighbors,” he said. “That’s what you do with a democracy. You work it out constructively and collaboratively.”
Juan Candelaria.
State Rep. Candelaria praised Lamont’s support of a higher minimum wage, paid family leave, and a diverse administration.
“Ned understands our urban communities,” he said.
Lamont reaffirmed his commitment to making his administration the most diverse in Connecticut history.
Ned Lamont.
“Right up and down the ticket,” he said, “from the constitutional officers to the commissioners and the deputy commissioners … we’re going to make darn sure that this is a diverse administration that represents all of our people.”
Click on the Facebook Live video below to watch the full endorsement.
I am going to be optimistic and conclude that Looney is promising to support airport expansion if the terminal is moved to East Haven. That will cost many more dollars than simply expanding the runway, but it is always expensive when you give a self-interesting minority veto power over the region's prosperity.