Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy has endorsed State Sen. Toni Harp ARC ’78 for New Haven mayor, according to The New Haven Independent.

If elected, Harp will become the city’s first female mayor. A state senator since 1993, Harp currently co-chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee. She is competing against Justin Elicker FES ’08 SOM ’08, Henry Fernandez LAW ’94 and Kermit Carolina to replace current Mayor John DeStefano Jr.

As of July campaign filings, Harp was third in fundraising with $111,341 raised, behind Fernandez’s $177,081 and Elicker’s $127,939. Carolina raised $33,435 by the end of the filing period, placing him fourth.

Harp received the Democratic Town Committee endorsement at the end of July. She has also been endorsed by three former mayoral candidates who have dropped out of the race — State Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield, Connecticut Technology Council CEO and President Matthew Nemerson and plumber Sundiata Keitazulu, who dropped out of the race at the beginning of August.