Republican Martha Dean, whose position on nullification got Connecticut electors thinking about the chances of seceeding from the union if she were to win the state Attorney General race, finally called Democrat George Jepsen to concede the November 2 election and announce she was dropping a legal challenge. Results on the Secretary of the State’s website have been changing over the last two weeks, but still, Jepsen won pretty handily, 591,725 to 480,310, for a 111,415 plurality.
This from Jepsen:
“In a press release and Twitter message on her website, Dean said she would not pursue a legal challenge to Jepsen’s credentials. “It was a pleasure running against George. I acknowledge his victory and I wish him well,” Dean wrote. Dean’s pre-election challenge to Jepsen’s qualifications was dismissed in Hartford Superior Court on Nov. 3.
Jepsen thanked Dean for her conciliatory call. “As Attorney General, my door will always be open to Martha and her supporters as we all work together to get Connecticut moving again,” Jepsen said. “Even while disagreeing on most issues, I always respected Martha Dean’s sincerity, her intelligence, or her commitment to the people of Connecticut. Our contest showed that candidates can disagree without being disagreeable, let alone getting personal, something all too rare in today’s politics.”
Dean said the passage of time and the legislature would likely resolve any questions remaining on the eligibility criteria for Attorney General. “At this juncture, I believe the best path forward is allow the AG-elect to focus on trying to run the AG’s Office in a way that helps pull Connecticut out of its severe crisis,” Dean said.”