A Register Citizen editorial this morning wonders if Connecticut is about to make a big mistake via inattention to the most important race on the Aug. 10 primary and November general election ballots.

It's non-scientific, of course, but a RegisterCitizen.Com poll so far this morning finds, so far, that only 25 percent of readers can name all five major party candidates for governor.

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Greenwich businessman Ned Lamont is offering a plan to renew Connecticut's cities as he competes in the Democratic primary for governor against former Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy.
Malloy has long touted his city as a model of urban success.
Lamont said Tuesday he would lead a revival of Connecticut's cities by improving schools, helping manufacturers by addressing high energy and health care costs, and focus state investments near mass transit hubs. Lamont also said he will provide funding to redevelop old industrial sites.
Lamont said some of his initiatives are modest in cost, but acknowledged parts of his plan would have to be implemented over many years because of the state's large budget deficit.

In a letter to his supporters, Marconi explains that he has decided to end his campaign for governor and will continue to serve as the First Selectman of Ridgefield.

He will be supporting Ned Lamont and Mary Glassman.

"We have some challenging days ahead of us, but I believe that with hard work and the right leadership, they can also be great days," Marconi said in explaining his decision to support Lamont and Glassman.

"Together they represent the best of what Connecticut has to offer. Ned has decades of experience building a business from the ground up and creating hundreds of jobs here in Connecticut, while Mary has a proven record of improving education and fixing transportation as the First Selectman of Simsbury," Marconi said.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont will be a guest of the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce at 5 p.m. Monday, March 1, as part of the Chamber's ongoing series of meetings with top candidates for statewide office in 2010.

It comes a few days after Torrington's Democratic City Committee voted to endorse Dan Malloy, one of Lamont's main rivals for the Democratic nomination to succeed retiring Gov. M. Jodi Rell.

The meeting will take place at the Chamber's offices at 333 Kennedy Drive in Torrington.

Who, besides Susan Bysiewicz and Jodi Rell, isn't running for governor?

That might be the question to ask after the flurry of news over the past few days about more candidates jumping into the race.

On the Democratic side, potential candidates now include:

- Ned Lamont, the millionaire failed 2006 U.S. Senate candidate.

- Dan Malloy, former mayor of Stamford and failed 2006 Democratic primary candidate.

- Mary Glassman, first selectman of Simsbury and failed 2006 lieutenant governor candidate.

- Michael Jarjura, mayor of Waterbury.

- Jim Amann, former Connecticut speaker of the House.

- Gary LeBeau, state senator from East Hartford.

- Rudy Marconi, first selectman of Ridgefield.

- Juan Figuerora, health care activist.

And on the Republican side:

- Tom Foley, millionaire former ambassador to Ireland who was a candidate for U.S. Senate before switching to the governor's race after Rell dropped out.

- Michael Fedele, our sitting lieutenant governor.

- Lawrence DeNardis, former U.S. Congressman from Hamden.

- Nelson "Oz" Griebel, a Simsbury businessman.

- Mark Boughton, mayor of Danbury.

Also mentioned as potential candidates on the Republican side are state Senate Minority Leader John McKinney and former U.S. Congressman Chris Shays.

There is no question that the biggest winner in Susan Bysiewicz' decision to switch to the race for attorney general is Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman.

The move leaves Glassman, Democrats' lieutenant governor nominee four years ago, a rising star in the party and a new and somewhat surprising entrant in the race for governor, as the only prominent woman running.

She could end up as a fresh-face alternative to millionaire failed Senate candidate Ned Lamont and former Stamford Mayor and failed 2006 gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy.

CLICK HERE for the story about Glassman's decision to explore a run for governor.

The every-other-year speculation that Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal will run for governor started basically the day after this year's election.
Maybe - but doubtful - we'll find out if 2010 is finally the year when Blumenthal appears on "Face the State" on WFSB Channel 3 at 11 a.m. Sunday. Topics of discussion, according to the station, will be "Obama's Big Win, Blumenthal in 2010 and the state Republican party."
Conventional wisdom is that, once again, major potential Democratic candidates are somewhat paralyzed in actively seeking the governorship until Blumenthal makes up his mind.
Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz, who thought about running last time, and Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy, who lost in the primary last time to New Haven Mayor John Destefano, both might fall into that category.
Outgoing Speaker of the House Jim Amann is not in that category - he is openly running for the seat already.
God help the Republicans if Gov. M. Jodi Rell decides not to seek a second full term.
The other factor for major candidates could be U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd's seat, which is up in 2010 also.
Who knows how the mortgage controversy that is increasingly sliming his reputation will impact his decision on whether to run again. Or maybe President-elect Barack Obama, who had once considered Dodd for vice president, will tap him for some cabinet appointment or ambassadorship.
If Dodd quits, Blumenthal might run for the Senate. And would Ned Lamont take another shot, so he could be the junior Senate teammate of his buddy Joe Lieberman?
And you also need to factor in a bunch of bored congressmen possibly being interested in either Dodd's seat or running for governor, including Chris Murphy, Joe Courtney or John Larson.