Facing consistently low ratings in the polls, former House Speaker James Amann dropped out of the governor’s race Thursday – saying it just did not work out.
Amann did not offer any excuses, but acknowledged that he had trouble raising money under the new campaign finance law. But Amann, who pushed for the law, did not criticize it.
After 18 years in the legislature, four years as House Speaker, and more than a year running for the state’s highest post, Amann waxed nostalgic.
“I’m just a beach kid from Milford, Connecticut,” Amann told supporters and reporters at the state Capitol. “Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would have a chance to run for governor.”
In the latest Quinnipiac University poll that was taken in mid-January, Amann was in third place in the crowded Democratic field with 5 percent of the registered Democrats. He trailed Greenwich cable television entrepreneur Ned Lamont, who had 27 percent, and former Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy, who had 11 percent.
Known for his outspoken nature, Amann bowed out by saying that he was still the best-qualifed candidate in the race because of his 18 years in the legislature and his work to pass four balanced budgets as the House Speaker. No other candidate in the race has served as long in the legislature.
“I believe in my heart that – out of all the candidates I’ve seen – I’m the most experienced, the most qualified, probably had the best ideas out of all of them, but in reality, the pocketbook just didn’t allow me to market myself the way I would have liked,” Amann said.
As an official candidate, Amann was permitted to accept a maximum of $100 each from campaign donors in an attempt to raise $250,000 and qualify for state financing under the campaign finance law. Instead, he said he finished his campaign with a debt ranging from $50,000 to $70,000.
It is ironic, Amann said, that he could receive only $100 per individual for his campaign committee at the same time that he can now receive a maximum of $3,500 per individual under the law as a non-candidate to erase his campaign debt.
Amann declined to handicap the race or comment about the five remaining Democrats in the race – Greenwich cable television entrepreneur Ned Lamont, former Stamford mayor Dannel Malloy, Ridgefield first selectman Rudy Marconi, Simsbury first selectman Mary Glassman, and former Hartford state representative Juan Figueroa of Meriden.
Malloy said that he wished Amann the best of luck in the future.
“A wonderful guy is leaving the playing field,” Malloy told Capitol Watch.
On the Republican side, Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele, former Bush appointee Tom Foley, Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, Newington Mayor Jeff Wright, longtime business executive Oz Griebel, former U.S. Rep. Larry DeNardis, and Chester first selectman Thomas E. Marsh are all in the race. Some insiders believe that the large field includes politicians who are actually jockeying for lieutenant governor and have no real chance of being governor.
Amann, though, was always running for the top spot – as the only official candidate on the Democratic side. The rest has exploratory committees.
“It just didn’t work out,” said Amann, who turns 54 at the end of the month.
He added, “What’s next for me? Who knows. Certainly not a singing career. I can promise you that.”
A survivor of cancer of the esophagus who almost died during an emergency, 10-hour operation in 2001, Amann said that his health was not a factor in his decision.
Amann received sustained applause from a Capitol crowd that included many of his friends from his days as Speaker – attorney Bob Frankel, press aide Larry Perosino, former aide Maureen Magnan, former state representative Pete Smith and a series of House Democrats, including Jeffrey Berger and Richard Roy.