Major candidates for governor have all released tax returns

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The major candidates to be Connecticut’s next governor have now all released their tax returns.

Republican Bob Stefanowski released a portion of his tax returns on Saturday. Stefanowski’s two chief rivals, Democrat Ned Lamont and petitioning independent candidate Oz Griebel, have repeatedly called on him to provide his tax information. Both previously released their returns.

Stefanowski and his wife Amy earned $16.5 million in gross income over the past two years, according to the documents. The Stefanowskis earned $9.7 million in 2017 and $6.8 million in 2016 in gross income. They paid an effective tax rate of 38 percent on their 2017 federal taxes and 37 percent in 2016. They paid 6.99 percent on their state income taxes.

Bob Stefanowski worked for a payday loan company from 2014 to 2017.

Earlier this month, Lamont, a wealthy Greenwich businessman, released partial information about federal and state taxes paid over the past five years. Lamont’s tax returns don’t indicate the multimillionaire’s net worth, but show his adjusted gross income for the past five years was a combined $18 million, according to The Hartford Courant. The totals don’t include his wife’s earnings.

Lamont’s overall federal tax rate was 30 percent and he made $2.46 million in charitable gifts over five years.

Griebel was the first to release his tax records in September. The former president and CEO of the regional business group MetroHartford Alliance paid nearly $300,000 in federal taxes over the last three years, according to The Connecticut Post. His income was about $400,000 annually.

Stefanowski launched a nine-day “Rebuild Connecticut Road Tour,” on Saturday, making stops in East Hartford, Stratford, Wilton and Bridgeport. He sent out a fundraising email on Saturday, urging people to help out financially by “putting gas in the bus.”

Lamont kicked off a voter canvassing event in Stratford and opened a campaign office in Bridgeport. It comes a day after former Vice President Joe Biden headlined a rally for Lamont in Hartford.

Griebel and his running mate, Monte Frank, were scheduled to make stops at diners in Newtown, Westport and Wilton, as well as a UConn hockey game in Hartford and a Polish dinner in Coventry.