Malloy Wins Gubernatorial Primary; Did Not Take Ridgefield

Former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy has won the Democratic primary for governor of Connecticut, edging out businessman Ned Lamont by an unexpectedly wide margin.

With 59 percent of precincts reporting, Malloy was holding a 58 percent to 42 percent lead over Lamont, who conceded Tuesday night in Bridgeport.

In Ridgefield, Malloy lost by 173 votes, receiving 432 votes to Lamont's 605. About 23 percent of eligible Ridgefield Democrats voted in Tuesday's primary.

Mary Glassman, Lamont's unofficial running mate for lieutenant governor, also conceded to state Comptroller Nancy Wyman, who will run alongside Malloy in the general election. Wyman took Ridgefield by just 16 votes, earning 499 to Glassman's 483.

Malloy will run against GOP primary victor Tom Foley in November.

The state-wide result caps a race in which Lamont had consistently led the polls since January, only to watch his margin erode in recent weeks. The last Quinnipiac Poll before the election showed Lamont leading Malloy, 45 percent to 42 percent, a point difference within the poll's margin of error.

"I called up Dan a few minutes ago, and I congratulated him. I congratulated him on a forceful and disciplined campaign," Lamont told supporters, issuing an impassioned plea for Democrats to unite behind Malloy.

"If I had known is was going to turn out this way, I would have gotten a bigger room," Malloy told a room full of supporters in Hartford over chants of his name.

The victory represents a rebound for Malloy, who narrowly lost the gubernatorial nomination to New Haven mayor John DeStefano, Jr. in 2006.

"We are going to go on from this day forward to November 2 and wage an aggressive campaign on behalf of the people ... This campaign and the next admin begins by telling the truth to the people of Connecticut," Malloy said.

In May, Malloy earned the endorsement of the Connecticut Democratic convention over Lamont, but Lamont received sufficient support to force a primary.

Malloy, 55, is a Stamford native and a graduate of Boston College, where he earned both a B.A. and a J.D. After graduating, he worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Brooklyn and, later, at a private law firm in Stamford. Malloy served Stamford's Board of Finance before upsetting incumbent mayor Stanley Esposito in 1995.

Kira Goldenberg contributed reporting.