Democratic gubernatorial contender Dan Malloy revisited his middle class roots as he re-introduced himself to voters in the first statewide televised ad of his campaign, released today.
Standing outside of his childhood home in Stamford to open the commercial, Malloy, the youngest of eight children, recalled seeing his father leave for work in the morning sometimes as his mother would return home from working a double-shift as a nurse.
“It was a different time, but their worries and struggles were the same as the middle class now,” Malloy, 54, said in the 30-second ad. “As governor, I’ll never forget where I came from.”
The former Stamford mayor, who narrowly lost the 2006 Democratic gubernatorial primary to New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr., again is embroiled in a primary fight, this time with Ned Lamont, the party’s 2006 nominee for U.S. Senate.
Malloy, who has qualified for public funding to finance his campaign, has repeatedly criticized Lamont, a Greenwich businessman, for using his considerable personal wealth to fund his bid for the nomination.
Lamont’s campaign has aired five different commercials since April 9, according to campaign spokeswoman Justine Sessions.
Malloy campaign manager Dan Kelly said the ad’s goal is to “introduce Dan Malloy to voters who might not know him yet – but soon will – and to tell them a little about his life experiences and how they’ve shaped his values and his perspective.”
The first gubernatorial candidate to qualify for public financing in state history, Malloy will have access to up to $8.5 million to spend on both the primary and – if he wins that contest – the general election.