Jepsen, sans tie-die, invokes the spirit of Jerry Garcia (No, not the secretary of the state candidate from New Haven!)

Gerry Garcia is among the three announced candidates for secretary of the state who are being nominated right now. But George Jepsen, the former state Senate majority leader and state party leader, just started off his acceptance speech by quoting that over-used lyric from The Grateful Dead’s “Trucking” from nearly 40 years ago.

“What a long strange week it’s been,” Jepsen said, referring to the wild week in which Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz’s plans to run for attorney general were crushed like a bugs.

“He vowed to represent consumers against entrenched interests. “I will be an attorney general who listens to both sides of an issue before jumping in,” he said.