State Rep. Dan Carter, R-Bethel, a three-term legislator and former military pilot, won the Republican endorsement for U.S. Senate on Monday in a rejection of the yearlong campaign of August Wolf, the businessman and Olympian who was the GOP’s only candidate until last month.
CT GOP backs Carter for Senate, denies Wolf primary margin
Posted inPolitics
Clay Cope wins landslide in 5th, Daria Novak a squeaker in 2nd
Connecticut Republicans endorsed Clay Cope, the first selectman of rural Sherman and one of the GOP’s few openly gay elected officials, in a landslide Monday as their congressional candidate in the 5th District. Daria Novak won a narrow contest in the 2nd District, but could face a primary from Ann Brookes.
Posted inMoney, Politics
Details on CT budget deal remain under wraps six days later
By mid-afternoon Monday, nearly six days after Democratic legislative leaders announced a tentative deal on a new state budget, full details of that agreement still hadn’t been released to rank-and-file lawmakers or to the general public.
Posted inPolitics
GOP 5TH District campaign goes negative as convention nears
WASHINGTON — On the eve of the Connecticut GOP convention, two Republican candidates hoping to replace Rep. Elizabeth Esty in Congress are embroiled in accusations of dodgy business dealings and criminal records.
Posted inPolitics
CT GOP chair lifts convention ban on Hearst reporter
Connecticut Republican Chairman J.R. Romano said Monday he will issue a press credential for Monday night’s state convention to Neil Vigdor, a Hearst Connecticut Media reporter who was told last week he would be banned.
Posted inHealth
Feds want medical bills simplified
Confused by your medical bills? Surveys say you’re not alone, and now a top federal health official wants to do something about it.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Connecticut must cut red tape to unleash the electric vehicle revolution
In 2013, Connecticut joined seven other states’ aggressive commitments to put at least 3.3 million zero emissions vehicles by 2025 on the road, and now must take steps to ensure the state has a charging network capable of supporting the future. The House of Representatives just passed HB 5510 on electric vehicles, which does not go far enough to support the state’s EV market. A handful of key changes would provide private businesses with the tools they need to spur sustainable and scalable growth in Connecticut’s EV and EV charging markets.
Posted inEducation, Money
How does your town fare under the state budget deal?
State funding to help cities and towns operate public schools is hit hard in the budget deal Democratic legislators are set to approve this week. It’s a mixed bag for the other grants towns receive to help cover non-education related expenses. Curious how your city or town fares? Here’s a look.
Posted inHealth
FAQ: How the FDA’s new e-cigarette rule affects consumers
The federal government last week moved to regulate the booming e-cigarette industry, including banning electronic cigarette sales to minors, and it required all tobacco products to undergo government review, even many already on the market.
Posted inPolitics
Race for GOP nomination in 2nd District takes a European detour
It’s not every day that a candidate claims the endorsement of an unspecified former Portuguese vice president, but that claim prompted an unusual exchange of demands between the two contenders for the GOP nomination. The campaigns have since reached a truce on the matter.
Posted inPolitics
Klarides delivers rebuke, but Romano sticks with reporter ban
Republican State Chairman J.R. Romano said Saturday he is sticking with his decision to ban a Hearst Connecticut Media reporter from Monday’s state convention, despite a public rebuke from House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, one of the state’s highest ranking elected Republicans.
Posted inPolitics
New Haven’s Megna won’t run, becomes 21st to exit legislature
Rep. Robert W. Megna, D-New Haven, who adopted a consumer advocate’s role as co-chair of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, added his name Saturday to the list of legislators who will not seek re-election to the General Assembly this fall.
Posted inPolitics
Trump plays biggest role at Connecticut Democratic convention
Nominating Richard Blumenthal was the main order of business. But the specter of President Donald J. Trump starred Saturday at the Connecticut Democratic State Convention, a welcome presence to a party with divided presidential loyalties and the challenge of retaining control of the General Assembly in an angry and unsettled political year.
Posted inPolitics
GOP faces endorsement fights Monday for Senate, 2nd & 5th CDs
Ten years after they last won federal office in Connecticut, Republicans will make endorsements Monday night in a three-way race for U.S. Senate and in all five congressional districts, at least two of which are expected to be contested.
Posted inPolitics
CT GOP chair bans reporter from state convention
As the Connecticut Republican Party prepared to showcase its candidates for U.S. Senate and Congress, Chairman J.R. Romano created a media controversy Friday by banning a Hearst Connecticut Media reporter, Neil Vigidor, from its state convention on Monday.