Ciocci: 'This Election is Not Just About Economics' [POLL]

Trumbull Town Council Majority Leader Chadwick Ciocci accepted the nomination by Republicans from Monroe, Trumbull and Bridgeport for the 22nd state Senate district.

In Connecticut, facts no longer matter, according to Chadwick Ciocci, the GOP candidate picked Monday to run against Democrat Anthony Musto. He cited confused financial assessments, high taxes and a negative business climate, among the state's problems. He quoted Abraham Lincoln, who said, "If a man can convince you that 2 plus 2 equals anything but 4, then you can't possibly win the argument because facts don't matter." "I'm running because I envision a Connecticut where everyone who wants a job has a job, where our elected officials don't just treat your taxpayer dollars like it was their own money," he told supporters at the Helen Plumb building Monday night. The district includes Trumbull, Monroe and Bridgeport. "This election is about…

• Photos (7)

Do You Want to be an Elephant or a Donkey?

Deadlines approaching for switching political parties.

May 14 is the last day for voters to transfer from one party to another and be eligible to vote in Aug. 14 state and federal primary of their new party, according to the Registrars of Voters, who believe there will be both a Republican and Democratic primary on that date. However, final primary determinations will not occur until the Republican and Democratic Conventions take place later this month. Monday, August 13, 2012, is the deadline for unaffiliated voters to affiliate with a party in order to vote in the Aug. 14 primary. For information, call the Registrars' Monroe Town Hall phone number (203) 452-2820 or send an email to skoneff@monroect.org or jstripay@monroect.org.

• Photos (1)

Hovey Will Run Again this November

The longtime state legislator is seeking a sixth term.

State Representative DebraLee Hovey (R-112) announced she will seek a sixth-consecutive two-year term. The 112th District includes all of Monroe and a part of Newtown. "I am honored to serve the citizens of the 112th and love the job," Hovey said. "It is my hope the people know I work hard every day for them and will continue to do my best for the citizens of the towns of Monroe and Newtown. I ask them to support me in November.” Two years ago, Hovey beat Democratic Party challenger Michele Mount, taking 62 percent of the vote. Like the last election she said DebraLee Hovey 2012 will not accept citizens' election tax money to finance her campaign, adding she will need individuals to write checks to support her candidacy. "I believe that …

• Photos (1)

MONROE PATCH-IN

We Haven’t Really Come a Long Way, Baby

The current ‘war between women’ pitting Hilary Rosen against Ann Romney is deflecting attention from the true ‘war ON women’ and distracting us from the real question — Who are we voting for?

[Editor's Note: Please keep an eye out later this week for "Patch Back," a new feature from Lisa Bigelow that will serve as response piece to certain installments of Heather's "Patch In."] The question isn't whether Ann Romney ever "worked" a day in her whole life, but: Does her husband Mitt truly give a rat's ass about anyone — especially women — in the 99 percent? This made-up battle between working moms and stay-at-home-moms is causing people of every gender to lose focus on more important issues — namely whether politicians are advocating stripping rights from women (like reproductive health choices) or finding ways to penalize them and hold them back (withholding equal pay) or simply having a double standard when it comes to lower- vs…

• Photos (1)

Monroe Democrats Elect New Leadership

Nick Kapoor takes the helm of the party as Patty Ulatowski steps down. Dee Dee Martin was elected as vice chair.

Nick Kapoor, 21, is ascending the ranks in town politics at a rapid pace. He was appointed to finish Michele Mount's Town Council term on March 12 and was elected chairman of the Monroe Democratic Town Committee on Tuesday night. The party ushered in new leadership as Patty Ulatowski stepped down after four years of leading the DTC. Michele Mount also chose not to run for another term as vice chair. She was replaced by longtime Town Council member Dee Dee Martin. "I'm confident the new leadership will continue the mission of the Town Committee and guide the group to new and exciting horizons," Ulatowski said. "It was an honor to serve and I am forever grateful for every second I sat in the chair. I became intimately acquainted with so many…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (2)

Town Registrars of Voters Explain Redistricting

The 21st and 22nd state senatorial districts were affected in the redistricting, which takes place once a decade.

The following is a press release from the Monroe Registrars of Voters Office. Every 10 years the State of Connecticut is mandated to update congressional and senatorial districts based on the latest census. Monroe's changes occurred in the 21st and 22nd state senatorial districts, which necessitated having to change the polling places where many Monroe voters have been used to voting. The state reduced the 22nd district which contains Monroe Voting Districts 2 (Stepney Elementary) and 3 (Monroe Elementary) by over 1,900 voters and moved them into the 21st district. This change increased Monroe Voting Districts 1 (Fawn Hollow Elementary) and 4 (Masuk High School) by the same 1,900 voters. Voting districts 1 and 4 were adjusted to make them …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Town Republicans to Caucus on Jan. 12

Residents registered as Republicans are invited to participate.

All registered town Republicans are welcome to a GOP caucus to be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, in the land use conference room of Monroe Town Hall. Candidates will be endorsed for the Republican Town Committee.

• Photos (1)

Find Out Whether Redistricting Will Affect You

The state releases redistricting maps showing how recently approved changes will affect General Assembly districts.

Recently approved General Assembly redistricting plans will lead to changes in voting districts for thousands of residents across the region and state while others will see no discernible differences. For instance, residents in Brookfield, Monroe, Oxford, Middlebury will see no change in their district lines, while others who live in Bethel, Danbury, Newtown, Southbury and Woodbury, will see varying amounts of revisions. However, because district lines cross municipalities, even if a town doesn't experience a change, a district that includes part of the town is likely to see changes. For instance, all of Brookfield will remain in the 107th District, however, that district, now represented by Republican Rep. David Scribner, has been revised…

•  2 Comments
• Documents (2)

Hoa Nguyen

11:10 am on Monday, December 5, 2011

Yes, that's quite a contradiction! Apologies for that. Oxford will see no change but its neighbor in District 131, Southbury, will. I'll correct that now. Thanks for pointing it out!   more ›

Shays Says He Can Beat Both McMahon and Murphy in Senate Race

Former congressman met with the Naugatuck Republican Town Committee, where he talked both issues and his status in the 2012 GOP race for U.S. Senate

In speaking before the Naugatuck Republican Town Committee on Wednesday, former Congressman Chris Shays proclaimed that he was the best GOP candidate to beat the assumed opponent, Democrat Chris Murphy, in the 2012 election. But, other than mentioning some recent polls, Shays barely spoke about the 5th Congressional District congressman during his 10-minute stump speech. Instead, he took jabs at another Republican competitor currently in the race for the open U.S. Senate seat: former WWE CEO Linda McMahon. “You had a choice (in 2010) and you selected someone who spent $50 million in an incredibly wasteful way,” Shays said to the gathering of Republicans during a monthly meeting at Town Hall. “And I ask you, if she is going to spend $50 …

• Photos (4)

'The General Overall Picture is That the Machines are Working'

Monroe will audit three of its four voting districts as part of a statewide audit.

Now that Election Day has passed, the Secretary of the State's Office is conducting routine audits of voting machines throughout Connecticut to ensure votes were tabulated accurately. On Nov. 6, districts were randomly selected through a lottery and 73 precincts out of 726 state districts, were chosen. Of those, three of Monroe's four polling places are included. Susan Koneff, Democratic Registrar of Voters for Monroe, said, "Since they figured out how to do these audits, we had done them three or four times. The most we ever had were two districts. It is very unusual for us to have three." By contrast, only one polling place was chosen from the city of Bridgeport, according to a press release from Secretary of the State Denise Merrill's …

• Photos (1)