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Conn. Gubernatorial Candidates Make Final Pitch To Voters

Jessica Hill
/
AP
Independent candidate Oz Griebel, left, Republican Party candidate Bob Stefanowski, center, listen as Democratic Party candidate Ned Lamont, right, speaks during a gubernatorial debate at the University of Connecticut in Storrs in Sept.

Last night three of the candidates running for governor in Connecticut used their final televised debate to make closing arguments to Connecticut voters. The debate was at the Foxwoods Resort Casino.

The three candidates described Tuesday’s upcoming election as a pivotal one for Connecticut. Democrat Ned Lamont said if elected, he would be the one to protect the state against President Donald Trump’s policies.

“You are going to need someone who is going to stand up and fight for Obamacare and fight for the protections we need. Wherever I go people tell me about preexisting conditions. Their dad with diabetes, what are we going to do. I promise you as governor we are going to make sure those people are protected.”

Republican candidate Bob Stefanowski promised he would revive the state’s economy by getting rid of some of outgoing Democratic Governor Dan Malloy’s projects, such as the New Britain busway, and by cutting taxes.

“We are going to rip the band-aid off in Hartford. We are going to cut the size of government. We are going to eliminate wasteful spending. We are going to reduce our taxes and get jobs and businesses to come back here.”

Unaffiliated candidate Oz Griebel promised that he and his running mate would not be beholden to the two major parties that have been in charge in Hartford.

“I hope in the last couple of debates you’ve seen two people, Monte Frank and myself, who are prepared to provide leadership that’s not focused on which party is in charge, whether it says R or D on my sweatshirt, but rather a leadership team that is going to focus on you as a taxpayer, the resident and an employer.”

Lamont also promised to protect Connecticut’s tough gun laws in light of last weekend’s massacre at a Pittsburgh synagogue.

“In the synagogue there were four policemen from a SWAT team that were shot down as well. We’ve got to do everything we can in terms of protecting our really serious gun laws, coming after Sandy Hook. Bob has talked about taking them back. That’s the wrong thing to do.”

Stefanowski responded by accusing Lamont of being narrowly focused on guns.

“Ned likes to focus just on guns as this whole problem. This is not the whole problem. We need to start limiting access to schools.”

Griebel argued that it’s important for a governor to set the right tone.

“While the guns themselves are important, it is the whole tenure in the way we treat one another across the board. And it’s a major leadership responsibility for a governor.”

The latest Quinnipiac University poll shows Lamont leading Stefanowski but within the margin of error.

As WSHU Public Radio’s award-winning senior political reporter, Ebong Udoma draws on his extensive tenure to delve deep into state politics during a major election year.
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