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Easton First Selectman Thomas Herrmann defeated two right-in candidates to earn re-election.
Herrmann, a Republican and managing director at Wilton-based private equity group Stanwich Partners, called the victory proof that Easton’s residents are largely pleased with his leadership.
Read what else Herrmann had to say here, as well as full results from the town.
http://youtu.be/Emi3zzGUMgg
Sen. Rob Kane, a Republican who represents the 32nd District that includes Bridgewater, Middlebury, Oxford, Seymour and Southbury, was on Fox News’ Fox and Friends early Tuesday morning to talk about the ghoulish proposal by a fellow state lawmaker to move Halloween to Saturday, permanently.
Kane, who said he’s a fan of Snickers, isn’t necessarily against the move, but said it’s not the right time to bring up the topic.
State Rep. Tim Larson (D-East Hartford) proposed making the holiday the last Saturday of October each year in Connecticut, citing the fact Thanksgiving is celebrated on the third Thursday of November every year as an example.
This year, Halloween falls on a Monday and Larson said parents he’s talked to say weeknight trick or treating is difficult because kids have to get up for school the next day.
“Halloween is fun night for the whole family, but not so much when you have to race home from work, get the kids ready for trick or treating, welcome the neighborhood children, and then try to get everyone to bed for an early school and work morning,” Larson said. “Halloween has also become one of the top holidays for retailers selling candy, decorations, costumes and general party supplies. Jobs are created by this holiday, so let’s make it a little more fun and safe for everyone, and create some jobs too.”
The proposal comes as state legislators return to Hartford to tackle the issue of creating jobs. On Fox News, Kane said Larson and those supporting the proposal need to realize what is really important.
“It’s not about the idea, it’s about government overreach,” Kane said. “In Connecticut we have 9 percent unemployment, the highest tax burden in the country, the highest energy costs in the country and we’re talking about moving Halloween?”
Kane said “we should be talking about getting people back to work, getting the economy going, creating jobs, or at least an atmosphere to create jobs, not discussing what day we are handing out trick or treat candy.”
Larson said he doesn’t expect the proposal to come up during the special session, but hopes it will be considered in 2012.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said Tuesday, after laughing, that he thinks a decision on Halloween should be made by the U.S. Congress, not on a state-by-state basis.
Chris Murphy
U.S. Rep. Christopher Murphy (D-5) was in Illinois this weekend at a town hall meeting, promoting an effort for Democrats and Republicans to come together to fix the economy.
“In Washington, nothing can get done without the two parties working together,” said Murphy, according to the Champaign/Urbana The Daily-Gazette. “This economy, with the misery that comes with it, affects everybody, whether you are registered as a Republican or registered as a Democrat.”
According to the Daily-Gazette article, Murphy joined Republican colleague Tim Johnson at the I Hotel in Champaign, speaking in front of about 100 people Sunday afternoon.
Murphy, who is running for U.S. Senate in 2012, and Johnson, who represents Illinois’ 15th district, are members of the Center Aisle Caucus, a group working to bring the two political sides together.
“Washington would work together better if the two parties just talked to each other. Tim and I are trying to set an example for our colleagues,” Murphy said, according to the Daily-Gazette. “We need to think creatively about how to break the culture of dysfunction in Washington. If you are serious about Washington, you have to be serious about reaching out across the aisle.”
Johnson was a founder of the caucus, and Murphy is one of its leaders.
“More than ever, there is a tremendous belief that government at all levels is out of control,” Johnson told the Daily-Gazette. “The dysfunctionality, the anger, the bickering and the unwillingness to work together have reached monumental proportions, and we need to do something about it.”
Murphy told the Associated Press that he thinks some Democrats are hesitant to join the movement, because they don’t want to be accused of being centrists.
More than 50 percent of voters questioned in a recent Public Policy Polling (PPP) poll said they would vote for former Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley over Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy if they could have a do-over.
“It’s the first state where we’ve found serious buyer’s remorse about a Democratic Governor,” according to Tom Jensen, the poll director, who posted the results Thursday.
Fifty-two percent of voters polled said they would vote for Foley, while only 41 percent said they would vote for Malloy.
According to the poll, only 36 percent of voters approve of Malloy’s performance as governor, while 52 percent disapprove.
Jensen said that makes Malloy the most unpopular Democratic governor in any state PPP has polled this year.
Only 36 percent of independents approve of Malloy, compared to 55 percent who disapprove.
Even in his Democratic base, Jensen said, Malloy has only 49 percent support, with 37 percent disapproving of his performance.
“It’s rare to find a major politician under 50 percent approval within their own party,” Jensen said. “Last year we found 20 percent of Democrats planning to vote for Foley the week before the election – now 28 percent do. Malloy has plenty of time to get back on the right track but for now his position is pretty bad.”
Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal was found to be second-most popular among the 16 first-year Senators, with an approval margin of 18 points (52 percent approving to 34 percent disapproving). That puts him behind only West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin.
His fellow Senator, Independent Joe Lieberman, is feeling a “retirement bounce,” according to Jensen. Lieberman plans to step aside from his position when his term ends next November. His net approval rating approved 19 points since last March. Lieberman has a 39 percent approval rating, but despite the bump, he still ranks as the fourth-most unpopular Senator polled this year, behind only John McCain, Ben Nelson and Mitch McConnell.
“But it’s an improvement from being the least popular Senator in the country, which was the designation he held previously,” Jensen said.
Rep. Chris Murphy (D-5) is the most popular of the state’s Congressional delegation, with a +7 spread. In a poll released earlier this week, Murphy was shown to be leading the way in the race for Lieberman’s Senate seat, ahead of former Congressman Christopher Shays, a Republican, and other candidates, Linda McMahon (R), Susan Bysiewicz (D) and William Tong (D).
Rosa DeLauro (D-3) is second in the delegation with a +4 rating. Rep. Jim Himes (D-4) has just a one-point net approval rating.
Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch voted at Beardsley School, along with his wife, Sonya, around 11 a.m.
Finch, a Democrat, is looking to defeat challenger Mary-Jane Foster, in order to run for re-election in November.
“Just voted with my beautiful wife!! Let’s move this city forward!” Finch tweeted from his @FinchforMayor account.
As Bridgeport school security guard Eddie Moro arrived to patrol the halls at Marin School, he stopped to chat a bit about the city’s politics.
“If Joe Ganim was to run for Mayor tomorrow, I’d vote for him,” Moro said. “And I know a lot of other people who would too.”
Moro, who has worked at the school for 21 years, is a friendly face for students, parents, teachers and administrators as they arrive every morning at the school. He holds the door open and greets each student, switching back and forth between English and Spanish as he puts smiles on the faces of children slowly making their way into class.
But on Tuesday, Moro showed he’s also a bit of a political junkie.
“Finch, he is a good man, but the people around him, they’ve made him do things he hasn’t wanted to,” the veteran security officer said. “He’s been like a puppy dog, and you don’t want that from the Mayor of this city.”
But Ganim, Moro said, really looked out for the people of Bridgeport.
“He made a mistake, but he paid the price for it. We all make mistakes,” Moro said, before turning to three girls he called the “3 Muskateers,” and told them to behave today, joking that there isn’t enough Tylenol in the world to cure the headaches that Bridgeport students give him daily.
Ganim, a Democrat who served as Bridgeport Mayor from 1991 to 2003, was convicted of receiving kickbacks and spent seven years in federal prison. He was released in 2010 and hinted that he could make a return to politics, but didn’t enter the race.
As three elderly Bridgeport women from the city’s East Side were helped out of a car in front of Marin School around 8:30 a.m., a woman with Bill Finch cards was quickly summoned to greet them.
As the shirt-and-tie wearing man told the women that he would wait for them to come out to give them a ride back to their apartment, the Finch supporter got to work.
“You voting for Bill Finch?,” she asked the trio, barely phrasing the statement as a question.
The three women nodded and then took voter cards from the woman, who told them to vote for Finch and all of row A, and told them to keep the cards with them, in case they need to reference them later.
As three women emerged about 15 minutes later, they all said they voted for Finch, but none would elaborate, or provide their names.
About 30 to 40 voters have cast their ballots at Marin School for the Democratic primary. The polls have been open for two hours.
Supporters of Mary-Jane Foster and Bill Finch have gathered on opposite sides of the entrance, each group setting up at the 75-foot distance from the doors, as required by law.
The supporters have been quiet, thanking voters as they leave and welcoming them with info when they arrive. One man, clad in a bright yellow Finch For Mayor T-shirt, stopped to hug a friend, and fellow Democrat, who is supporting Mary-Jane Foster.
The voters seem mixed early on between Foster and Finch.
One woman, who declined to give her name, said he chose Finch because she doesn’t trust Foster with the city finances. She said she likes Foster, except for the fact she lost money while running the Bluefish.
Jose Ortiz, 43, said he votes for Finch also, but wasn’t really sure why.
“I just felt I had to vote today, as an American and as a Bridgeport resident,” he said outside of Marin School, where voters from the 137-01 district on the city’s East Side cast their ballots.
For election coverage this morning and all day, follow @connpost, @Tomwcleary, and @frankjuliano on Twitter. Also follow the #bptprimary hashtag and use it in your tweets about the election.
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