Paul Bass Photo
Outside the Edgewood School polling station Tuesday.
As Republicans and Democrats choose candidates for statewide offices in nine different primaries Tuesday, central party machines are having less influence than ever on who ends up the ballot.
That was the consensus of political experts interviewed during a Primary Day edition of WNHH FM’s “Dateline New Haven.”
The panelists — New Haven State Rep. Pat Dillon, SCSU political scientist and former New Haven GOP Town Chairman Jonathan Wharton, Republican former state consumer affairs chief Mark Shiffrin, New Haven Democratic Town Chair Vincent Mauro Jr. and former Democratic gubernatorial candidate and state Comptroller Bill Curry— noted how self-funding millionaires are becoming more prominent on ballots and how candidates not chosen at political conventions are in a position to, say, emerge as the Republicans’ possible gubernatorial candidate.
They examined what that means for the future of state politics. They disagreed about Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont’s substance, or lack thereof. They discussed the prospect of a new generation of female candidates seeking a spot on the statewide ticket in both parties.
Click on the play arrow to watch the show, and hear Mauro push Curry off the air.