Democrats in Profile

Two articles were published in the Stamford Advocate and the New Britain Herald profiling the Democratic candidates for Lt. Governor.

Scott Slifka, running mate of John DeStefano, was the subject of the Advocate article:

At 32, West Hartford Mayor Scott Slifka knows his youth can be viewed as an impediment in his quest for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.

But Slifka, a lawyer, and others say he has experience beyond his years and a bearing that makes him a good fit for the job.
...
"Obviously age hasn't been an issue with the people of West Hartford," he said. "One thing that probably makes me different from another candidate is I come from a generation that is living with debt from the first minute. We're the generation that has to borrow an extraordinary amount of money to get through college or graduate school. The day we take our first jobs, we are in debt and you have to learn to have to live with it. I might be among the first that has something to say about that." (Coleman)

Glassman, who has ties to New Britain, is profiled in the Herald:

Glassman's first foray into political action was her successful run for first selectman of Simsbury, a largely Republican town, in 1991. She was the first Democrat to be elected to the post in 36 years. She served eight years.
She last worked as Lt. Gov. Kevin Sullivan's chief of staff, but resigned immediately after being named Malloy's running mate. Sullivan supports Democratic New Haven Mayor John DeStefano's bid for governor.
Glassman, 47, said open government will be one of her major themes on the campaign trail. She and Malloy, who is currently mayor of Stamford, will make a good team, she said, because they both have experience as chief executives of municipalities.
"He's been a successful mayor. He understands the needs of big cities," she said. "I think he sees me as complementing that because I have also served in office. I have a record of accomplishments in Simsbury and I understand the needs of small towns." (Moore)

It's interesting that both candidates come from well-off Hartford suburbs: Slifka from West Hartford and Glassman from Simsbury. Both Malloy and DeStefano desperately need to court suburban voters, and this is a good way to do it.

Interestingly, this will be the first time in a long while that the Democrats have nominated a ticket with no legislative experience at either the state or the national level. DeStefano/Slifka may very well be the first "all mayor" ticket in state history, as both are currenly mayors of their municipalities.

Sources

Coleman, Tobin. "Dems race for lieutenant governor: Slifka: 'Viewed as mature beyond my years'." Stamford Advocate 29 May, 2006.

Moore, George. "For city native, role in politics was natural." New Britain Herald 29 May, 2006.