Bevilacqua ponders another run for Trumbull seat

Trumbull’s Louis Bevilacqua is contemplating another run for a seat in Hartford and this time he says he might force a primary to get there.

Bevilacqua

Bevilacqua

The spokesman and local activist says that Republican Rep. Dave Rutigliano has been “ineffective” in representing the 123rd state House district and says he could do a better job.

“Trumbull is still a lovely and historic town, despite the poor leadership,” he said in a statement earlier this week. “I haven’t decided whether this is the year to run for office, but if I do throw my name onto the ballot, it will probably be in a primary.  There is no way to win without a major party nomination.”

He says he’ll likely decide whether to run sometime after Easter.  The main planks of his platform, if he runs: low taxes, government accountability and environmentally friendly development.

Bevilacqua vied for the 123rd district seat in 2012, facing off with Rutigliano and Democrat Tom Christiano in a three-way general election race. Rutigliano won his first term in the seat with 54.6 percent of the vote.

Running as an independent, Bevilacqua got just 90 votes in 2012. He now says he tried to connect with those voters but that “many independents are so beaten down by political pessimism they chose not to vote.”

In 2011, Bevilacqua started a minor dust-up when he made an unflattering comparison between a campaign manager and a Roman Emperor after local Democrats asked him not to run for town council on their ticket.

Bevilacqua has also identified as a both a Democrat and a Republican in the past. He said Thursday that if he does run, he’ll probably run in the Republican primary.

He said he believes there are many “disaffected” Republicans and independent voters in town who are looking for a change in leadership.

“Right now our political power is quickly becoming a thing of the past,” Bevilacqua said. “I’ve increased my name recognition dramatically from my slight involvement in local affairs, and we would win hands down, with a nomination.”

Rutigliano said Thursday night that he’s looking forward to a possible campaign with Bevilacqua but he also said that Bevilacqua has attributed some new state laws–like those involving Sunday liquor sales and medical marijuana–to Rutigliano, but those laws were passed before Rutigliano took office.

Wes Duplantier