May 9, 2008
Democratic candidates eye open seats in Wilton districts
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Wilton Democrats, and the party’s candidates running for election in local districts, can learn a valuable lesson from state Rep. Kim Fawcett of the 133rd District in Westport and Fairfield.
In 2006, Ms. Fawcett did what many believed was unthinkable: challenged and beat an entrenched Republican Party that had held power in the district since 1912.
On Saturday, Ms. Fawcett brought that message to Wilton, encouraging the town’s Democrats to hold out hope that their candidates — all of whom attended the party’s breakfast at Trackside teen center — had the same chance, if not better, of following in her footsteps.
“My message to you is Peggy and Di and Martin and John can win this year,” said Ms. Fawcett of Ms. Reeves who is running for Wilton and Norwalk’s 143rd District, Di Masters who is running for state representative in Ridgefield, Martin Goldberg who is running for state senate in Westport and Norwalk, and John Hartwell who is running for the 26th District Senate seat.
She said there were three reasons Democrats have a chance to sweep traditionally Republican districts in November.
“Our President has given us a gift this year,” she said, indicating that national dissatisfaction is one reason Democrats have a shot. “He has laid out the red carpet.”
Democrats also have the opportunity to “outstrategize” their Republican opponents, she said.
“They take for granted that they win down here and they don’t start their campaigns until the summer,” said Ms. Fawcett.
Finally, the candidates, the town committees and the party faithful can, and must, outwork the Republicans, she said.
“The trick, and what we know in the campaigns is that winning an election is not about issues... it is about outpositioning them,” said Ms. Fawcett. “Working with the candidates around the state, one of the things we teach them is the issues are the wedge to tell them your story.”
The candidates
John Kalamarides, chair of the Wilton Democratic Town Committee, introduced each of the candidates running for office, and drew a laugh from the roughly 50 in attendance when he said the candidates could “speak for five minutes, or as long as they need.”
“Our candidate, Peggy Reeves... is somebody who is going to win because she’s genuine, because she’s done a wonderful job for 30 years.”
Ms. Reeves, Wilton’s Democratic registrar, said when she first considered running — at the time expecting to be facing Toni Boucher, a longtime Republican incumbent — Ms. Fawcett was the one who eventually convinced her that victory was not out of reach.
Now, with Susan Bruschi, a Republican selectman, expected to be her opponent, she still expects an uphill battle.
“This is going to be a tough, competitive race, but I’m going to win,” she said.
Ms. Reeves said she spent the day Thursday in Hartford at the state legislature, meeting with other representatives and focusing on state and regional issues. On Friday, she held court for six hours with Mr. Hartwell at Orem’s Diner meeting with the movers and shakers who can help get her campaign off to a good start.
Her campaign is already making progress, she said, with Sharon Grace, a former town committee chair, serving as campaign manager, and Paul Burnham, a former candidate for the 143rd District, serving as treasurer.
“I have $3,000 right now,” said Ms. Reeves of her fund-raising efforts to date. “More important, I need to have 150 contributors.”
Under a new state campaign finance program, candidates for representative who have received donations totaling more than $5,000 from more than 150 contributors are eligible to receive $25,000 in state financing.
“Once we have that $5,000, the state will give me $25,000, and with $30,000 we can run a competitive race,” said Ms. Reeves, adding that the money for the program comes from the sale of abandoned properties, and not from taxpayers.
For Mr. Hartwell, the new campaign program requires 300 signatures, but Democrats feel they can build the level of support needed.
“What Toni doesn’t realize is she jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire,” said Ms. Reeves.
Mr. Hartwell said while he and Ms. Boucher may have similar stances on some issues, such as transportation, she “is much too conservative for this district... and we are going to prove that in the fall.”
He said he would be relying on Wilton support, hoping to firm up a section of the district where Democrats need to make inroads. To that end, Mr. Hartwell’s nominating convention on May 19 will be held at Trackside teen center, he said.
“It’s a town that we’ll need to do much better in than in the past,” he said.
For Jim Himes, who is challenging Congressman Christopher Shays for the 4th District seat, the issues that convinced him to run more than one year ago and were highlighted when he first met with Wilton residents at the previous year’s event at Trackside are more pressing than ever.
Issues such as the war in Iraq, the loss of civil liberties and a need to take on a national energy initiative continue to be the thrust of his campaign.
“It’s a little sobering because not only haven’t we turned these things around, they’re worse,” said Mr. Himes.
He said “George Bush and his cronies in Washington” are “eroding the American dream” with deliberate policies that have directly led to the economic downturn and the situation many Americans find themselves in today.
Parting words
Also addressing the crowd was Susan Bysiewicz, secretary of the state, who said now is the time for Democrats to take back the traditionally Republican districts.
“Fortunately, Republicans are very complacent, so use that to your advantage,” she said.
From her perspective, running the state’s elections, Ms. Bysiewicz said recent trends make her more confident of Democratic victories.
“Fifty thousand people registered between Nov. 1 and the Feb. 5 primary” in Connecticut, she said. New voters were “three to one Democrat to Republican.”
“Young people between the ages of 18 and 29 have been registering in huge numbers,” said Ms. Bysiewicz. “They are six to one Democrat.”
Nancy Dinardo, chair of the state Democratic Party, said Democrats will need to work hard for their candidates and to bring the party back together once the presidential nomination is settled.
As an unpledged superdelegate, Ms. Dinardo said she too is worried “as some people are, that if it does go to the convention it could divide the party as it did in 1980.”
Across the country, she said, a common strategy is cropping up where Republicans are using Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in advertisements to try to steer voters away from local or regional Democratic candidates.
“The plus is the Republicans are showing their hand early,” she said. “These are the types of strategies that we have to refute with our friends and neighbors, because it does make a difference.”
© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers
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