Democrats Present Qualifications For State Office

Democrats running for state office below the position of governor pitched their candidacies and responded to questions Thursday night at a forum organized by the Democratic town committees of Westport, Wilton and Weston.

Held in Westport's Town Hall auditorium with about 40 people attending, the evening included a rarity; someone running for lieutenant governor unassociated with any candidate for governor.

Leading off by saying, "Yes, you can run for lieutenant governor," Kevin Lembo explained that a lieutenant governor candidate "stands alone at the convention (and) stands alone at the primary."

It's only after the primary, Lembo said, that the candidate for lieutenant governors gets joined to a gubernatorial candidate and runs at the top of the ticket.

"I think that tells us that our law envisions a process," Lembo said. "That we're going to think for a little while, at least, about whom that person is in that number two spot."

As the state's current healthcare advocate, Lembo said he stands in a privileged position, representing patients and their families when their insurance company says "No."

It happens a lot, he said, claiming that through his advocacy, he saved consumers $6.7 million last year.

Turning to the administration of Gov. Rell, a Republican, Lembo said the state loses ground every day it doesn't have the proper leader in Hartford.

It's hard to gain that ground back, said Lembo, "but we can do it because we're Democrats, who are not afraid of government, respect government's limitations … and know what the potential is for our government to make a real difference in the lives of the people of the state."

Lembo concluded saying he hoped to activate the lieutenant governor's office in a way that makes it more than ribbons and funerals, but rather makes it useful and effective.

Next up were the candidates for attorney general, current Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, George Jepsen, a former member of the state House and Senate, and Cam Staples, a state representative.

The current attorney general, Richard Blumenthal, is running for the seat of retiring Sen. Christopher Dodd.

Bysiewicz, who has been challenged by Republicans claiming she doesn't qualify for the office because she has not had ten years of active legal experience, led off by saying she has a "strong legal background."

Bysiewicz said she has led an office of lawyers and legal assistants for 11 years, gives legal advice on election and business law, and has a job that "is in essence very similar to the one that Dick Blumenthal does every day."

As attorney general, she said she would want  to roll back some of the deregulation of power companies and advocate keeping domestic violence shelters open 24 hours a day,

Jepsen said he will bring "rich experience" as an "issues advocate" to the job of attorney general.

"I think the people deserve the best legal advocate possible for them," Jepsen said, "and I think …that I am uniquely the person in this race who would be the best lawyer for the people of Connecticut."

State Rep. Cam Staples emphasized his work as an advocate for improving the quality of public education.

"It's important as a state to provide the educational opportunities for children from the beginning of their education all the way through to their higher education," Staples said.

Staples said that as attorney general, one of your central functions is to make sure people's rights and opportunities are protected by making sure they have access to good quality education, a clean environment, and quality health care.

The program concluded with four candidates for secretary of state, state Sen. Jonathan Harris, Norwalk Town Clerk Andrew Garfunkel, former New Haven Alderman Jerry Garcia and state House Majority Leader Denise Merrell.

Harris said the secretary of state must be a true and effective business advocate, must build participation at the voting booth and in our communities, and must make better use of technology to get information out to citizens and get information out to businesses to be more business friendly.

Based on his experience in Norwalk, Garfunkel said he knows what it takes to run an election process.

Garfunkel said that through introduction of new technology his office has become a landmark office for town clerks across the state, and he has become a mentor to some of them.

Garcia said he is running for secretary of state "to give voice to people who don't have a seat at the table" because they face barriers to voting on election day.

Garcia said he favors early voting, and would like to institute a California-like system of early voting that allows people to participate by mail.

Merrell said, for her, being secretary of state is all about getting people to participate and understand our system of government.

Merrell said that in her years in the state assembly, she became known as someone who has worked very hard at efficiency in government.

"You will never hear me say that government should be smaller," she advised, "but you will hear me say that it should be better and it can be more efficient, and that includes the secretary of state's office."

State Comptroller Nancy S. Wyman and state Treasurer Denise L. Nappier spoke earlier in the program. Neither of them face primary challenges.