By STEVE COLLINS

BRISTOL — The city’s top Democrat, Mayor Art Ward, this week threw his support behind Democratic gubernatorial contender Dan Malloy.

“He’s been here for us,” Ward said, “and now we need Dan Malloy as governor of the state of Connecticut.”

Malloy is one of a handful of possible contenders for governor. Among the other Democrats eyeing the position is businessman Ned Lamont, who snatched the party’s U.S. Senate endorsement in a 2006 primary from incumbent Joe Lieberman.

Most of the city’s Democratic leaders haven’t yet taken a side in the gubernatorial race, at least in public.

But Malloy clearly has more mojo in Bristol than does Lamont, who failed to carry the city in his successful primary contest against Lieberman in 2006. Lieberman won the general election as a third party candidate.

Malloy lost out to New Haven Mayor John DeStefano for the party’s backing four years ago.

nomination in May and then take the helm from outgoing Gov. Jodi Rell after the November general election.

Ward said Malloy posted a tremendous record during his 14 years as the mayor Stamford, where he added jobs, cut crime and held taxes in check.

“We’re going to need someone who has experienced the ground floor” in the governor’s seat during the next term, Ward said, because he has the roots to tackle the state’s obvious financial woes.

Malloy said that Connecticut needs a governor with “a laser-like focus on creating jobs” in order to undo the damage that 20 years of failed policy has done...