By Rinker Buck
A last minute maneuver to throw votes to West Hartford State Senator Jonathan Harris failed to stall the bid of House Majority Leader Denise Merrill to win the Democratic endorsement for the Secretary of the State.
On the second ballot yesterday at the State Democratic Convention in Hartford, Merrill won 964 votes to Harris's 826, which exceeded the 50 percent required to secure the party's endorsement.
Merrill prevailed despite a move by New Haven Alderman Gerry Garcia to release his supporters to Harris. But the switching of votes from Garcia to Harris was not enough to stall Merrill's momentum.
But all three candidates--Merrill, Harris and Garcia--won 15 percent of the delegate vote on the first round of balloting, guaranteeing them a place on the primary ballot in August and boding for a crowded primary season this summer.
On the first ballot, Merrill won with 44 percent of the delegate vote. Harris won 31 percent of the vote and Garcia won 24 percent.
(In photo, Representative Denise Merrill, center, cheers with supporters, including State Representative Pat Widlitz, left, after winning the democratic endorsement for Secretary of State over State Senator Jonathan Harris at the Democratic Convention. Bettina Hansen/Hartford Courant)