Connecticut Politcs: U.S. and State Senate races heat up

This November, Connecticut residents will elect a replacement for U.S. Sen. Chris

Atty. General Richard Blumethal and Linda McMahon Dodd, the Democrat who has announced he will retire his seat. Election Day 2010 promises to be an exciting moment, with seats in the state Senate and House of Representatives also up for grabs, as well as the governor’s race.

Long before November, however, your vote can make a difference in this midterm election. On Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2010, both the Democrats and the Republicans will hold primaries to choose their candidates for the November ballot. Even though both parties have endorsed a candidate at their May conventions, with enough signatures (or convention votes), anyone can force a primary – and this year, several contenders may do exactly that.

Background: U.S. Senate

candidates under scrutiny

One of the most compelling aspects of this year’s U.S. Senate race is the fact that the two major contenders, as well as the retiring incumbent, have all been involved in widely publicized disputes, putting Connecticut on the national media radar.

A senator since 1980, Dodd is leaving his seat under a cloud of financial questions about his ties to mortgage lender Countrywide and insurance giant AIG, which came under scrutiny as the economy collapsed.

Linda McMahon, who received the GOP endorsement at the party’s convention in May, has been criticized as former CEO of World Wresting Entertainment (WWE). She and her husband, Vince, built the WWE into a billion-dollar empire that some critics believe is the bottom-of-the-barrel in sports entertainment.

McMahon became head of the company when Vince faced charges of steroid use in the 1990s, and since then, some of the company’s techniques for beating out the competition have come under fire.

Democratic nominee and current Attorney General Richard Blumenthal was publicly thrashed in mid-May, when the New York Times reported that he may have exaggerated his service record in Vietnam. After performing well in the polls for months, two days after the story broke, Blumenthal’s lead over McMahon dropped to just three points – 48 percent to 45 percent.

But Blumenthal has managed a rapid rebound, putting the Republicans back in the position of underdog. A June 1 Rasmussen survey of likely voters showed Blumenthal with 56 percent support versus 33 percent for McMahon. Four percent prefer another candidate, and seven percent (7%) are undecided.

He holds a similar lead over Wall Street investment banker and anti-tax activist Peter Schiff , who says he has obtained about 12,000 signatures – far more than the 8,268 required – to force a Republican primary in August.

In addition to Schiff, a number of long-shot challengers are vying for the Senate seat, including financial executive and economist Warren Mosler (Independent Party), college professor and engineer John Mertens (Connecticut for Lieberman Party), Canton attorney Harold Burbank (Green Party) and of course, there is always the potential of seeing outspoken consumer activist Ralph Nader (Green Party) on the ballot.

Former Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, favored by many Tea Party devotees (he has stated that he carries a teabag next to his copy of the Constitution) has suspended his campaign, but gained enough delegates (46 percent) at the Republican convention to appear on the primary ballot.

State Senate races in

greater Danbury

The 24th District of the Connecticut General Assembly encompasses Danbury, New Fairfield, Sherman and parts of Bethel. One of two Democratic challengers will face incumbent Republican Michael McLachlan in the battle for a seat.

Alice M. Hutchinson, a former Bethel first selectman and former member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, was nominated at the district convention in May at City Hall in Danbury.

However, Danbury Common Council member Paul Rotello earnedenough votes at the convention to force a primary ballot on August 10, if he so chooses.

A 10-year veteran of the council, Rotello was one of two members who voted against the other 19 that approved the city’s participation in the Department of Homeland Security’s ICE Access Program, under chapter 287(g) of federal immigration law. In a press release, Rotello also noted the larger issues facing the 24th District, “from ill advised court rulings preventing local zoning control, to manage- ment of water resources, continuing job losses, sky-high electrical rates and the ongoing uncertainties surrounding Candlewood lake,” which he believes must be addressed at the state level.

In the 26th District, which covers portions of Bethel, Redding and Ridgefield, John Hartwell, who ran for the same seat two years ago, was nominated by the Democrats for a run against incumbent Republican Sen. Toni Boucher. Boucher has served for 12 years.

Both candidates feel that they have some answers to the state’s budget crisis, with Hartwell saying that lawmakers must look at ways to cut spending and increase revenue.

Boucher says the current situation is due to a Democratic majority that hasn’t cut spending enough, borrowing its way out of fiscal crisis.

Watch for more news as Rotello decides whether or not to force a primary ballot in August.

And many of Simmons’ supporters are urging him to push forward on his quest to become the Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate.

Finally, look for a full report in an upcoming issue about Connecticut’s exciting governor’s race!