Plainville’s Democratic Chair Runs For Open 22nd House District
FARMINGTON – Legislative races for candidates to represent Farmington and Plainville in the General Assembly have been set with party endorsements during May in the 5th State Senate and 21st and 22nd State Representative districts.
House District 21
Deputy Majority Leader Mike Demicco (D-21), first elected to the state House in 2012, was endorsed for a new term by the Farmington Democratic Town Committee. His district includes Farmington and Unionville.
A former high school and middle school history teacher, Demicco served on the Environment Committee, the Public Health Committee, and the Energy & Technology Committee in the General Assembly in 2022. Prior to becoming a state representative, Demicco served on the Farmington Town Council for four terms.
Republican Town Council Member Joe Capodiferro of Unionville is the Republican candidate in the 21st District. Capodiferro is a realtor and former town police officer and is serving a second term on the seven-member Town Council.
During this year’s legislative session Demicco co-sponsored several bills that will expand support for mental health services for children from kindergarten through high school including $10 million for school-based centers. His sponsored bills included legislation strengthening the Clean Air Act and climate change mitigation. Rep. Demicco also supported a new law protecting “employee freedom of speech and conscience.” The measure guarantees First Amendment rights of employees who refuse to accept communications that convey the opinions of employers on religious or political matters in the workplace.
House District 22
Plainville Democratic Town Chair Rebecca Martinez is the endorsed candidate in the 22nd House District that includes Plainville and portions of Farmington and Southington, a district redrawn as the result of 2021 Redistricting.
Martinez, a member of the Plainville Board of Education and a nurse, announced her candidacy ahead of party endorsements and won the multi-town convention on May 11th to succeed incumbent Republican, Dr. Bill Petit. who is not seeking re-election. Martinez seeks to return the 22nd District to Democrats, a seat previously held for 22 years by the late Betty Boukus before she lost in a close election to Dr. Petit in 2016. Boukus, whose district at the time included New Britain’s DiLoreto School voting district, passed away shortly after the 2016 election.
In a campaign video announcing her candidacy Martinez, the mother of two school-age children, cited her work as a nurse and her public service on the BOE in Plainville as her motivation for seeking the legislative seat. “As a nurse working on the frontlines since the beginning of the pandemic, I know the impact it has had and continues to have on our communities,” said Martinez . She pointed to the need to be an advocate on key legislative issues dealing with health care and medication affordability, addressing the lingering effects of COVID-19 and solutions to the children’s mental health crisis. As a BOE member Martinez was proud to support Plainville’s “transparent” school budget that was approved by voters in a referendum.
In Rep. Petit’s place Republicans have endorsed Francis Cooley who Petit introduced at a May fundraiser for State Senator Henri Martin (R-31). Martin represents Plainville, Bristol, Harwinton, Plymouth and Thomaston. Cooley, according to his announcement in the New Britain Herald, works as a substitute teacher at Kelly Educational Services in Farmington and serves on Plainville’s Library Board of Trustees.
State Senate District 5
State Senator Derek Slap (D-5) was endorsed for a second full term at a May10th convention held virtually and involving delegates from Farmington. West Hartford, Burlington, and a portion of Bloomfield. New Britain State Senator Rick Lopes (D-6) represents another portion of Farmington as well as Berlin and New Britain. Lopes was endorsed at a convention in New Britain.
Elected in a 2019 special election to succeed Beth Bye, the Lamont Administration’s Early Childhood Education Commissioner, Slap previously served one term as state representative for the 19th House District, a multi-town district that includes West Hartford, Avon and Bloomfield.
During the 2022 session Slap became the Senate Co-Chair of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee and served as Vice Chair of the Environment Committee. He also served on the Aging, Finance, Revenue and Bonding and Government Administration and Elections Committees.
Senator Slap cited his work during the 2022 session in support of a state budget that includes tax cuts and support for communities that will have a “positive impact on local education and recreation. I am also glad to support significant tax cuts for our residents, especially expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the new Child Tax Credit, which will financially support families across our state.”
Senator Slap also pointed to his work with Senator Saud Anwar of South Windsor to secure $5 million in bonding for a grant program intended to improve security and protections at houses of worship and nonprofits amid the escalation of hate crimes and violent incidents across the nation.
Slap resides in West Hartford and works as Vice President of Advancement at The Village for Families and Children.
Legislative candidates in both parties are expected to participate in the Citizens Election Program to qualify for public financing of their campaigns for the November 8th State Election when the offices of Governor and Lt. Governor, five Congressional seats, U.S. Senate and state representatives and state senators are on the ballot.
