Denise Merrill finished first in the balloting in a three-way race for secretary of the state at the Democratic convention today, but fell short of the majority necessary to win the endorsement.
Merrill had 44.5 percent of the first ballot vote, while Jonathan Harris had 30 percent and Gerry Garcia had 20 percent. All three are qualified for a primary.
One candidate needs to go over 50 percent to win the nomination.