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Former State Sen. Dan Debicella, R-Shelton, concedes to U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-Greenwich, at the conclusion of their 2010 Fourth Congressional District race.

Republican Dan Debicella  informed his supporters by e-mail today that he will not run again for Congress in 2012.

The former state senator from Shelton fell short in his 2010 challenge of Democratic incumbent Jim Himes in the Fourth Congressional District, which covers most of Fairfield County and a sliver of New Haven County.

Debicella, 37, told Hearst Connecticut Newspapers that his top priorities right now are  starting a family with his wife, Alex, and his job of nearly one year at Bridgewater Associates, the Westport hedge fund of Greenwich billionaire Ray Dalio.

“I was definitely thinking about it,” Debicella said of running. “We were the closest federal race in Connecticut. Obviously, I have a passion for public service.”

Debicella emphasized that he is not done with politics altogether and could once again  seek office down the road.

“This year, I’m going to be scratching my public service itch through community organization and helping others run for office,” Debicella said.

The 2010 GOP nominee did give a shout-out to the current crop of Republican candidates in his e-mail to supporters, including links to the campaign websites of Steve Obsitnik, Chris Meek and John Orner.

“They are all the types of Republicans that Fairfield County would vote for,” Debicella told the newspaper.

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A poli sci whiz from Columbia University Friday brought an end to the partisan drama surrounding the design of Connecticut’s five congressional districts.

Basically, the legislature’s Republican minority wanted to shake things up. But Democrats who, understandably given their party affiliation, would like to continue living in a blue state, wanted to pretty much maintain the status quo.

Fight, fight, fight. Fight, fight, fight. No compromise.

So the state Supreme Court assigned the Columbia prof as a “special master” to intervene, and the draft report he issued Friday essentially backs the Democrats’ approach with a couple modest tweaks.

The court is expected to give its blessing to the map in the coming days/weeks.

In a fittingly mundane end to a story that only held the attention of die hard politicos and people with the title “special master”, three Democratic legislative leaders Friday took three hours from the time the news broke to issue the following victory statement to an eager press:

“The special master’s proposed map appears to address the minimal changes that the recent court order required,” said Senate President Donald Williams, D-Brooklyn, Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney, D-New Haven, and House Majority Leader Brendan Sharkey, D-Hamden.

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Responding to the news the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) tapped recently ousted Middletown Mayor Sebastian Guiliano as its new director, Sen. Gayle Slossberg, D-Milford today demanded the agency to reconsider.

Slossberg along with Rep. Russ Morin, D-Wethersfield chairs the General Assembly’s Government Administration and Elections Commission.

You can read their full press release outlining their reservations about Giuliano, a Republican who lost re-election in November, below.

This has been a tough few months for Slossberg. First she had to stand by while Gov. Dannel Malloy moved forward with a merger of elections enforcement and other state watchdog agencies. It was a move Slossberg strongly opposed but, given the politics of the situation, there was not much she could do other than offer some politely restrained public comments to the press.

And then the SEEC goes and hires Giuliano…

Hartford – State Senator Gayle S. Slossberg (D-Milford) and Representative Russ Morin (D-Wethersfield), co-chairs of the legislature’s Government Administration and Elections Committee, today forcefully urged members of the State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) to reconsider their nominee for executive director.

Yesterday the SEEC nominated former Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano to lead the agency’s day-to-day operations; the position is scheduled to be filled at a meeting next Wednesday. Among other things the SEEC administers grants through Connecticut’s public campaign financing program and more generally, oversees and enforces fair elections statewide. It must also rule on elections-related disputes.

“I strongly believe the SEEC must first and foremost be an independent watchdog of Connecticut’s elections policies, procedures, and processes, without even a hint of partisanship, and a chief elected official, of any party and any municipality, who served in office and ran for re-election as recently as this nominee, compromises that desire for irrefutable nonpartisanship,” Senator Slossberg said. “Individual SEEC commissioners must be removed from partisan politics for three full years before they are eligible to serve; I think the same standard should be applied to the agency’s staff positions as well.”

Senator Slossberg and Rep. Morin said ethics standards of any type prohibit not just outright conflicts of interest but also the appearance of a conflict, and this nominee, given his recent position and campaign, remains unsuitable given that standard. The co-chairs emphasized how their objection has nothing to do with Giuliano as an individual – that they would object to anyone of either party so recently removed from office and partisan political activity.

“There is no place for partisan politics at Elections Enforcement,” Rep. Morin said. “In essence, the commissioners are naming an executive director whose feet are still tired from walking the campaign trail. This is a job that rises above party politics – even the slightest hint of partisanship would contaminate Election Enforcement’s ability to carry out its mission.”

The co-chairs cited their comparable and consistent position during the Regular Session of the General Assembly last year, when they insisted upon the untainted appearance of all state watchdog agencies during negotiations to consolidate them.

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The Hartford Courant has published an editorial questioning the recent hiring of an $100,000 a year executive director for the state’s Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission during still tough fiscal times.

“This is good news for the commission, but Connecticut taxpayers may be asking themselves why, in financially strapped times, this group exists with such a price tag attached,” reads the editorial, which can be viewed in full here.

The state has other commissions on African American, Latino, women and elderly affairs – groups proponants say are invaluable resources for those residents and that critics argue should at the least be merged into one entity to cut costs.

Not mentioned by the Courant is the fact the commission’s creation was  a pet project of state Rep. William Tong, D-Stamford since his election in 2006. Tong was the first Asian American to join the General Assembly and is currently campaigning for U.S. Senate.

Tong is currently one of three Democrats vying for their party’s nomination to run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by “independent Democrat” Joseph Lieberman, also of Stamford.

While I have a hard time seeing either of Tong’s primary opponents – U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy and ex-Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz – making hay over the commission, the Courant’s editorial I’m certain will be in play should Tong make it to the general election.

What Republican candidate is going to pass up the chance to say, “William Tong grew big government, creating a commission in Hartford run by a highly paid director while your taxes were increasing.”

Here’s the testimony Tong delivered in 2007 to a legislative committee in support of the commission. 

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It’s Friday the 13th. Gov. Dannel Malloy is in his 13th month on the job.

And he’s ordered a conclave of officials from the state’s Public Safety and Transportation departments, as well as the Connecticut National Guard, to staff the state’s Emergency Operations Center starting at high noon. 

Contrary to what all you soothsayers or those who decided to lock themselves in a padded room for the day might be thinking, Malloy’s aides reassured that the governor is not suffering from a case of triskaidekaphobia — fear of the number 13.

Fear of Friday the 13th is known as friggatriskaidekaphobia.

A high wind advisory triggered the decision to partially activate the state EOC, according to Malloy’s office.

“The governor has a very full day today and is focused on that — he’s not concerned about Friday the 13th boding ill,” said Juliet Manalan, a spokeswoman for Malloy. ”In fact, he’s been walking under ladders and breaking mirrors with great abandon.”

You hear that, Jason?