State Rep. John Mazurek, D-Wolcott, announced Monday he will seek the Democratic nomination for the 16th Senatorial District seat now held by state Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Cheshire.
He said he decided to run after learning that state Rep. Bruce P. Zalaski, D-Southington, has decided not to enter the senate race, but to seek a third house term, instead. Zalaski said Monday he is throwing his full support behind Mazurek. “He will make a great state senator,” he said.
...
“I will beat Sam Caligiuri in his hometown,” Mazurek said.
“All that talk is well and good,” Caligiuri responded. “But the issue in this campaign is who will best be able to change what happens in Hartford in the General Assembly.
“I welcome Corky (Mazurek) into this debate.” (Pollack)
The 16th Senate District covers Wolcott as well as pieces of Cheshire, Southington and Waterbury. It is a heavily Democratic district, easily won by Sen. Murphy in the 2004 election. Mazurek won his race in Wolcott with 60% of the vote in 2004. Caligiuri, a lawyer who was president of the Waterbury Board of Aldermen before being appointed Acting Mayor in 2001, has never run for election outside of Waterbury. Wolcott, interestingly, is a very Republican town which strongly supported President Bush in 2004. Mazurek has a somewhat conservative voting record; he voted against civil unions in 2005, and abstained from voting on campaign finance reform.
Source
Pollack, Robert. "Mazurek will run for senate seat in 16th." Meriden Record-Journal 31 January, 2006.
20 comments:
I wonder if either of these guys will take Blumenthal to task on his NCLB suit the way the NAACP is doing according to the NHR.
A little convoluted considering the original post but that's the only way I could weave it in to the thread. And, hey, what are the issues for the coming state elections anyway? More pork for the government employees - political appointees and unions?
Wow, Sam already sounds like a seasoned statesman compared to that snide remark from Corky.
John Rowland out of jail????
Former Gov. John G. Rowland, in prison for corruption the past 10 months, was transferred from a
Pennsylvania prison camp Monday on the order of a federal judge, a
prison spokesman said Tuesday.
Rowland left Loretto Federal Correctional Institution on a
request by a federal judge to appear in court, said Mike Truman,
spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He could not say which
court or why.
Rowland left Loretto on Monday, Truman said. It's not clear when
or whether he would return to Loretto, he said.
Rowland was sentenced last year on a corruption charge after
reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors. He was due to be
released from prison on Feb. 12.
Telephone messages were left for Rowland's attorneys.
Anon 11:35,
Sam has had a lot more experience in the public eye, especially after his run-ins with the ethics commission, as a henchman and advisor for Rowland and as then deal-cutter with Mayor-turned-pedophile Giordano.
Mazurek is a true lightweight. Here's hoping Caligiuri sends him home. And why would Murphy abandon a safe seat to get his butt kicked by Johnson? Is he looking to quit public life and practice law?
I wouldn't be so sure Murphy is going to get his butt kicked. His race has been targeted by the national party and he is building a lot of momentum.
Check out the link below for the story Mark Davis did on Channel 8 last night -- the whole story is called "Fighting for the Fifth." Doesn't SOUND like a foregone conclusion to me!
http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=4431966
A couple of observations:
1. Is this guy's name really "Corky?"
2. The Pope would have a difficult time beating Sam C. in Waterbury. How do you think "Corky" will do?
3. This is a stepping stone for Sam. He fancies himself as the Republican successor to Nancy Johnson.
4. When did Murphy secure the nomination? I thought Vance was in the race. Has anyone heard from Vance?
5. Now that Rowland is just about out of prison, he'd have a good shot at defeating "Corky" in Waterbury.
I got a letter from Vance in today's mail talking about Nancy Johnson's silent support for Bush's Iraq policy.
I saw on CFIS that Vance's committee, Vote Vance, is terminated.
Genghis, this "heavily Democratic" dsitrict was held by Republican Steve Somma from 1988 to 2002, and prior to him Joe Markley won the district in 1984.
Murphy's performance in 2004 against an unfunded unknown was the only time a Democrat won the seat with over 55% in the past 24 years.
Mazurek has his work cut out for him. Caliguiri already raised 30K
Brass Anon,
Given that Vance raised $520 last quarter, which he could have surpassed by setting up a lemonade stand on his front lawn, we can safely conclude that the primary is over. I would surmise that he has not yet formally withdrawn because he wants to build some visibility for some other future purpose.
Genghis,
The committee that Vance terminated (some time ago) was a state-level campaign exploratory committee. His Congressional campaign is, by legal requirement, set up as a federal committee, and has not yet been terminated. His exploration of both a federal and some unknown state office suggests he is searching for some sort of political direction ... I don't know what.
Looking at his voting record, Mazurek does not look like a terribly progressive Dem.
By the way, Channel 8 had a story yesterday on Murphy and the 5th CD race. Video is also online.
As a 16th district resident, I agree with the notion that this is NOT a Democratic seat. Somma won big here for years, Wolcott and Cheshire are fairly reliable Republican towns, and the east end of Waterbury is registered Democrat, but is very very conservative. Given Murphy's progressive record, his win here in 2002 over Ann Dandrow, a Nancy Johnson clone, was impressive (he beat an unknown in 2004 by a huge margin).
It was an impressive win over Dandrow (who was a terrible campaigner), Murphy has not faced a real challenge since.
Wolcott cannot be called solidly Republican since its Mayor and State Rep are Democrats (well, the last mayor was a democrat until this mayor, a former dem won as an independent. Wolcott and East Waterbury are moderate to conservative, as is Cheshire.
Rumblings (Roll Call and The Hill) have Nancy Johnson as one of 3 R Reps as candidates for the Chair of Ways and Means. That means big $$$$
Wolcott is a Republican town on national issues, but in local races can go either way. The Republicans only recently started having slightly more voters than the Democrats. Historically, its been dead even. The current mayor is a popular independent. The one before him a Democrat, before him a Republican. Corky is well known in town, and Sam is highly respected throughout the Waterbury area by members of both parties.
As for the district, its population is evenly split by the mountain. Southington is a more moderate- liberal town that orients itself towards Hartford, whereas Wolcott and Cheshire are as conservative as the Center of the Universe. (And yes, you can say Rowland's name out loud in these parts.)
Waterbury's first instinct in all parts is to vote Democratic, but Republican candidates often give good reasons to attact the large number of Blue Dog Dems in the Italian based Bucks Hill and upper North End neighborhoods. The East End is also filled with an older population that has a highly energetic and popular Republican for its state rep.
If a Republican can win Waterbury, Cheshire and Wolcott, and the Democrat simply wins the overly Democratic-leaning Southington, you have a very close race.
Both candidates will need to make their positions well known and so far fundraising is fairly even.
Past campaigns - where one candidate ignored the conservative side of the district- and the last one was running on pennies- are no indicator for this race.
Southington is so "liberal" it gave Rowland a 3100 vote margin in '02 and nearly voted for Bush over Kerry in '04
In 1992, Clinton finished 3rd in Wolcott for President.
1992 President:
Bush: 3293
Perot: 2340
Clinton: 2204
By the way, why is Cornwall shown as a Democratic stronghold on the maps? Why in the middle of the Republican Northwest corner, does it stick out as a blue thumb?
It's the lead player of the Birkenstock belt up there
There is a new sherrif on the block and his name is Zoni !!! Lets face it this is a Southington seat! Case closed!!!
Southington is 40% of the district, last I knew 51% wins the election.
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