A week of early voting ended on Sunday ahead of Tuesday’s Democratic Party gubernatorial primary in Connecticut.
Governor Ned Lamont and his challenger made separate campaign stops at the Bridgeport Islamic Community Center as they tried to get out the vote for an August primary with historically low voter turnout.
“To be honest, for me it’s like the main elections that happen are the presidential ones. The mayor (gubernatorial) ones I don’t hear much information about, plus I’m still young,” said Ahmed Sabbbeh, a 20-year-old college student from Shelton, shortly after Lamont’s visit following Friday prayers on August 7.
He said he’s only voted once before in the last presidential election.
“It’s my constitutional right as a Black man, as a Muslim. I am a part of this community and my say matters,” Xavier Bass from New Haven said. He said he'll vote and affordable health care is a main concern for him.
“As a 27-year-old man, just married, health care is very important to me, so affordable healthcare is essential,” said Bass.
Health care costs and money in politics are concerns for Mohammed Elawa, a 22-year-old from Newtown.
“Particularly money in politics,” Elawa said, insisting that he would also be voting.
“I think we have a big problem where a lot of our elected representatives are not representing the best interest of their people but rather the people who are funding their election,” he said.
In Connecticut’s gubernatorial race, incumbent Democrat Ned Lamont’s campaign is self-financed, while both his Democratic challenger Josh Elliot and Republican Ryan Fazio have accepted public financing through the state’s Citizens Election Program.
