State Legislators Get A Free Ride

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by Paul Bass | Jul 16, 2012 2:57 pm

(8) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Politics, State, Campaign 2012

Melissa Bailey Photo None of New Haven’s state legislators needs to “run” for re-election this year—because no one has emerged to challenge them.

At least as of now.

All six state representatives and two state senators based in New Haven—all Democrats—have decided to seek new two-year terms in the elections this year.

The deadline has passed for Democrats to challenge them in primaries. Not a single challenger has emerged. (In single-party New Haven, primaries are usually tantamount to general election.)

The deadline has also passed for Republicans to secure spots on the November general election ballot. Not a single Republican candidate has signed up, either.

Technically, a third-party or write-in candidate could still emerge by an Aug. 8 filing deadline. None has been spotted. (The Greens are running a candidate for New Haven registrar of voters, under a system in which the Republican and Democratic incumbents cannot lose. Green party town chairman Charlie Pillsbury confirmed that the party will run no candidates this year for any New Haven state legislative offices.)

So as long as state Sens. Martin Looney and Toni Harp and state Reps. Pat Dillon, Gary Holder-Winfield, Juan Candelaria, Roland Lemar, Toni Walker, and Robert Megna remember to show up to vote for themselves on Nov. 6, they’re in. No need to print flyers or bumper stickers, raise money, or ask anyone else to vote for them if they don’t feel like it.

A handful of New Haveners do have a chance to choose among two West Haven candidates, thanks to a gerrymandering maneuver that added a sliver of the Hill neighborhood to the district of West Haven state Rep. Lou Esposito. He faces a primary from David Forsyth in the 113th General Assembly district.

New Haven incumbents are accustomed to getting a pass most state-legislative election seasons. Either no one runs against them, or just a token opponent gets a name on a ballot, then disappears and never amasses a team of workers. New Haven state legislative seats tend to be won for life, with several members of the current team having served in Hartford for decades.

But rarely does the entire slate get the seats back without even a single nominal race. For instance, sometimes a legislator retires: Two years ago that led to a two-way primary contest in the 96th State Assembly District, which Lemar won. In 2008, Winfield won a competitive primary against Charlie Blango for the open 94th District seat.

This year, those two legislators seemed sure to face opposition, because their districts were redrawn. Half of Holder-Winfield’s district, previously 100 percent in New Haven, moved to Hamden. Lemar’s New Haven-Hamden district suddenly flowed into East Haven.

And yet even those two have no primary or Republican general election opponents.

Nicolás Medina Mora Pérez That fact bucks a statewide trend. The number of legislative races uncontested by a major-party candidate dropped 41 percent this year, to the lowest number since 1998, according to the secretary of the state’s office. Click here to read a release on that subject.

Observers offer a variety of suggested reasons for the disappearance of democratic elections for state office in New Haven:

•The collapse of the city’s Republican Party, for instance. “The numbers are the numbers; the votes have moved to the suburbs,” observed former state GOP Chairman Chris Healy. As of the most recently released count, New Haven has 62,273 registered voters. Democrats number 43,966; Republicans, 2,374; unaffiliated voters, 15,600; “other,” such as Greens, 333.)

• A general long-term decline in political participation (although New Haven has seen a resurgence of energy in aldermanic and town committee races).

• A takeover of the local Democratic Party by a labor-backed faction that used to fuel intra-party challenges.

• The high-profile, influential position at the Capitol of New Haven’s state legislators.

• The advantage to the Republicans of avoiding contests they can’t win in Democratic cities, contests that might otherwise turn out more Democratic voters for the U.S. Senate race.

And incumbents are hard to beat.

Democratic Town Chairwoman Jackie James offered another suggested reason: Voters are happy.

“I think they’ve done great work as a delegation in Hartford. They’re working well with folks in the community,” she said. “I think it’s a great thing.”

James’ Republican counterpart, city GOP Town Chairman Richter Elser, pretty much agreed with that sentiment. He doesn’t run for office, he said, because “I actually think Toni Harp [his state senator] does an OK job. I disagree with her, but I don’t think I’d make a better candidate. She has a track record of working for her constituents. I like Pat Dillon [his state representative]. I think she does a good job.” Elser said he sees no point in “being a challenger for the sake of being a challenger.”

“I know this is going to sound trite, but I really think we have the best delegation in Hartford. Almost everyone has a leadership position—is a chair of a committee or is influential in getting legislation through. More so than any delegation in Hartford, they know how to work the system to get things done,” reflected Toni Harp (pictured).

So what does an elected official do at election time when he or she has no one to run against?

In part, help other candidates who do have opponents.

That’s what Holder-Winfield is up to. He’s helping Esposito in West Haven. He’s also helping Democrat Chris Murphy run for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat.

And the officeholders still do see a need to touch base with constituents at election time, stay aware of their concerns, and maintain an organizational base for future elections. Just in case someone ever runs against them.

Melissa Bailey Photo Dillon (pictured), who first won her seat in 1984, is campaigning, opponent or no opponent.

“I always do. That’s one way I learn,” Dillon said. “It helps me be a better legislator.”

“You have an obligation to explain your record and what you’ve done over the last couple of years and what you’ll do in the future,” said Looney, now the Senate majority leader. He has represented his New Haven district since 1992. (He served as a state representative for 12 years before that.) “You’re trying to generate interest and enthusiasm.”

Comments

posted by: Threefifths on July 16, 2012 4:18pm

I will say it to my grave.This is Why you need implementation of instant runoff voting.Along with Term Limits and Proportional Representation.

posted by: Threefifths on July 16, 2012 4:30pm

Psalm for the Republican party and Democratic Party.

The Politicians are my shepherd, I shall be in want.They leadeth me beside the still factories,They maketh me to lie down on park benches,They restoreth my doubts about the Republican party and Democratic Party.They guideth me onto the paths of unemployment for the party’s sake. I do fear the evildoers, for thou talkst about them constantly.Thy tax cuts for the rich and thy deficit spending They do discomfort me.Thou anointeth me with never-ending debt,And my savings and assets shall soon be gone.Surely poverty and hard living shall follow me,And my jobless children shall dwell in my basement forever.
-AMEN

posted by: RCguy on July 17, 2012 1:12am

posted by: Threefifths on July 16, 2012 4:18pm

I will say it to my grave.This is Why you need implementation of instant runoff voting.Along with Term Limits and Proportional Representation.
posted by: Threefifths on July 16, 2012 4:30pm

Psalm for the Republican party and Democratic Party.

I laughed out loud on the last line of that psalm! I agree with you.

posted by: HhE on July 17, 2012 7:59am

Single party systems are not healthy, but I am looking forward to voting for Gary just the same.

posted by: Threefifths on July 17, 2012 9:17am

posted by: HhE on July 17, 2012 7:59am

Single party systems are not healthy, but I am looking forward to voting for Gary just the same.

The two party system has failed the people.In fact In a national poll released last week by the Pew Research Center, 57 percent of Americans surveyed agreed that there should be a third major political party along with term limits in addition to the Democrat and Republican parties.Even George Washington said alternating between 2 parties would be a frightful despotism. Also The two party system works for people because they do not want to actually think about politics.It is easier to parrot one of two alternatives.As long as the voters continue to support the two party system it will gets worse by the day.

posted by: ebw1957 on July 17, 2012 9:41am

I know soooooooo many folks in New Haven who are Democrats and pull the party lever without even caring who they just voted for as long as there was a “D” after the name. My guess is that is the majority view. Unfortunately as everyone knows- a one party system doesn’t work and never will. The great irony is that it is the Republicans who are promoting minorities to higher office faster than the D’s on a mass scale.

posted by: cedarhillresident! on July 17, 2012 12:20pm

So luv you my little fraction! :)

posted by: ElmJackCity on July 18, 2012 11:13am

None of these folks should be enthusiastic. It is demonstrative of what they do not do. They do not promote the very part of civic participation which leads to leadership: voting. I have never seen voter registration drives initiated in New Haven areas, whether it be with the ward chair or whoever.

To second 3/5ths it is time that every office of governance in this country had TERM LIMITS. Council seats on up!

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