Democratic state Rep. Tom Reynolds of Ledyard announced today he would not force a primary for the nomination for state comptroller.

Reynolds received 24 percent of delegate votes at Saturday’s Democrat convention, well above the 15 percent minimum needed to guarantee a spot on the Democratic Aug. 10 primary ballot.

“I have concluded that the interests of the state, the party, and my family are best served by declining such an opportunity,” he said in an e-mailed statement.

Kevin Lembo, who worked in the state’s comptroller office before becoming the state’s health care advocate, captured the Democratic endorsement with 55 percent of delegate votes.

Waterbury Mayor Michael Jarjura also received enough votes for a spot on the primary ballot, but has said he will decide by the end of the week if he will force a primary.

On the Republican ticket for comptroller, Darien businessman Jack Orchulli was unanimously approved to become the Republican nominee during their Saturday convention.

Jacqueline was CT Mirror’s Education and Housing Reporter, and an original member of the CT Mirror staff, joining shortly before our January 2010 launch. Her awards include the best-of-show Theodore A. Driscoll Investigative Award from the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists in 2019 for reporting on inadequate inmate health care, first-place for investigative reporting from the New England Newspaper and Press Association in 2020 for reporting on housing segregation, and two first-place awards from the National Education Writers Association in 2012. She was selected for a prestigious, year-long Propublica Local Reporting Network grant in 2019, exploring a range of affordable and low-income housing issues. Before joining CT Mirror, Jacqueline was a reporter, online editor and website developer for The Washington Post Co.’s Maryland newspaper chains. Jacqueline received an undergraduate degree in journalism from Bowling Green State University and a master’s in public policy from Trinity College.

Leave a comment