Donovan Officially Withdraws From Fifth District Race

Chris Donovan has officially withdrawn from the Fifth District race, ending over two weeks of speculation as to whether the former House speaker would continue as a third party candidate.

Secretary of the State Denise Merrill announced in a press release that Donovan submitted an official letter of withdrawal on Thursday. The statement was brief:

“I hereby withdraw my name from the nomination of the Connecticut Working Families Party for the Representative in Congress from Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District, effective immediately,” Donovan said.

Donovan, the Democrat’s original endorsed candidate, to Cheshire resident Elizabeth Esty.

But because the Working Families Party endorsed him, Donovan’s name would still remain on the ballot for the Nov. 6 election as a third-party candidate — leading some to speculate that he would stay in the race and run on the ticket.

After Thursday’s news, however, Donovan will no longer appear on the ballot in November.

“Since Speaker Donovan was the endorsed candidate for the 5th Congressional District of the Working Families Party, that party now has until September 5th to nominate someone else if it wants to put a candidate on the November general election ballot,” Merrill said in a news release.

A spokesman from the Working Families Party said their office will be putting out a statement within the hour.