NB Dems Endorse Incumbents For State Representative; GOP Picks Challengers

Campaign 2022: Election Day Is November 8th

Democratic Party endorsements for newly-drawn State Assembly Districts in New Britain were made at a Town Committee meeting at City Hall May 19th completing a slate of endorsed candidates for the November election. State Representatives Manny Sanchez (D-24), Bobby Sanchez (D-25) and Peter Tercyak (D-26) received unanimous support from DTC members in the legislative districts that lie within the city’s borders.

State Representative Gary Turco of Newington (D-27) who represents a small portion of New Britain contiguous with Newington was previously endorsed at a May 11th convention involving delegates. State Senator Rick Lopes (D-6), who represents New Britain, Berlin and a portion of Farmington, got the convention endorsement for a second term on May 10th.

On May 20th members of the New Britain Republican Town Committee endorsed a slate of challengers for the November election, according to the RTC’s Facebook page. RTC Chair and former Alderman Tremell Collins will run for the 6th State Senate seat. Ward 1 RTC Member Paul Edwards is the candidate for the 24th District and Joel Moret is the challenger in the 26th District. Ward 2 Alderman and the city’s Human Rights & Opportunities Officer Jerrell Hargraves is the challenger for the 25th Assembly District.

In seeking endorsements and new two-year terms, the Democratic incumbents pointed to a newly-adopted state budget that returns more funding to New Britain, makes major reductions to pension deficits at the state level and provides $600 million in tax cuts. The budget signed into law by Governor Lamont includes an extended gas tax holiday, a child tax credit of $250, Earned Income Tax Credit payments, car tax mill rate decreases, property tax credit increases, and pension and annuities exemption from state income taxes.

The Democrats’ tax relief measures enacted into law this month will be front and center in the 2022 campaign to counteract the refrain of state Republicans who, like Democrats, favored the gas tax suspension, property tax relief and the elimination of the income tax on pension and annuities.

Rep. Bobby Sanchez, the Co-Chair of the Legislature’s Education Committee, said if re-elected he will continue work on the Educational Cost Sharing (ECS) to increase aid to New Britain and other financially distressed communities where local support for education lags behind more affluent towns. Credited with securing increased pre-school dollars and school construction aid for the renovations to Smalley and Chamberlain schools, Sanchez told the DTC that he has set his sights securing funds for an overhaul of New Britain High School, a fortress like facility that, he says, needs upgrades and environmental improvements. According to Sanchez, the city should also consider a second high school as it once had with Pulaski High School that closed in 1982.

Any challengers to endorsed state representative candidates of either party in the city may qualify for an August 9th Primary if they filed sufficient petition signatures by June 9th. The Statewide Primary on August 9th will involve several under ticket contests for Treasurer and Secretary of the State and the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. Legislative candidates in both parties are expected to participate in the Citizens Election Program to qualify for public financing of their campaigns.