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SUSAN HAIGH

AP Political Writer


HARTFORD (AP) -- Former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy defeated Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont in the Democratic primary for Connecticut governor Tuesday, overcoming a better-known opponent who spent millions of his own money in the final weeks of the campaign.

Malloy had lagged in the polls behind Lamont, best known for defeating U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman in the 2006 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. But a statewide poll conducted by Quinnipiac University and released Monday showed the race had tightened in recent weeks and was too close to call.

Lamont conceded the shortly before 10 p.m., telling supporters at a Bridgeport restaurant that he called Malloy and congratulated him on a "forceful, disciplined campaign." He said Democrats now need to unite behind Malloy and his running mate, state Comptroller Nancy Wyman, who won the party's nomination for lieutenant governor.

"We're going to do everything we can to unite behind the Democratic ticket," Lamont told the crowd. "We don't look back, we look forward, we don't look back, we look forward. Get off the horse? You get back on. That's what we're going to do."

Mary Glassman also conceded to Wyman and urged Democrats to unite.

Malloy will face the winner of the Republican primary. With 46 percent of the vote counted, Greenwich businessman Tom Foley was leading his two primary challengers, Lt. Gov. Mike Fedele and Hartford-area business advocate Oz Griebel.

The two gubernatorial primaries had become testy in recent weeks, with Lamont and Malloy trading criticisms about each other's records. Lamont had run ads recently accusing Malloy of awarding no-bid contracts, while mayor, to companies that held fundraisers for his multiple campaigns or performed renovations on his home. Malloy denies he had anything to do with a no-bid contract.

In 2005, Malloy was cleared of any wrongdoing following a state investigation into whether city contractors received preferential treatment in return for doing work on his house. The chief state's attorney at the time, Christopher Morano, said there was "no credible evidence of criminal wrongdoing."

Malloy had run ads accusing Lamont of downsizing his cable company by 70 percent and bringing attention to a racial bias lawsuit Lamont had settled. Malloy argued that such information is important because Lamont says he wants to run state government like a business.

Both Malloy and Lamont sparred over public financing. While Malloy participated in the state's program, receiving $2.5 million for his primary campaign, Lamont has spent $8.6 million of his own money in his primary battle. Lamont spent nearly $17 million in his 2006 race against Lieberman. While Lamont won that primary, he ended up losing the general election to Lieberman, who later ran as an independent candidate.

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