Since I didn't see my town in MikeCT's (front-paged) roll call, I might as well add the Democratic candidate running for First Selectman for Seymour.
I have never heard of Kalako before until this election cycle. But, she's running against a Republican (Bob Koskelowski) who's been in this town for as long as I've lived here. I have been voting against him everytime there's an election. Maybe karma will finally smile on my little town politically this Tuesday.
What's the "big issue" in my town? This article from the New Haven Register pretty much summarizes it. Also, from this article you will notice that our little town's contest for first selectman is a little bit reminescent of the CT senatorial campaign from 2006. We have the entrenched Republican/Lieberman (Koskelowski), the up-and-coming Democrat (Kalako), and the also ran Republican-turned-Independent/Schlesinger (Kovaks). What's with the K's?
FWIW, Kalako has raised more money ($11,040.00) for this election cycle than Koskelowski ($8,683.96); Kovaks is a distant third ($1,600.00). And, she'll also be guaranteed 100% of the votes from our household. If anybody cares about the actual numbers, that's a whopping 2 votes. But, in an odd-election year (i.e. non-midterm and non-presidential election year), those 2 votes could represent a bigger chunk of people who actually vote in our neck of the woods.
For Seymour first selectman
Melanie Kalako, Democratic challenger to Republican First Selectman Robert Koskelowski, has our endorsement in Seymour. We agree with Kalako that Seymour is on the brink of real change, and we believe she has the vision move the town toward economic revitalization.
Although we acknowledge that new businesses have opened up during Koskelowski's terms, we support Kalako's goals to tap the development potential of Silvermine Industrial Park, hire a full-time economic development director, fill the empty storefronts in Tri-Town Plaza and work with downtown merchants to restore and revitalize that historic area of town.
We believe Kalako has the energy and drive to implement recommendations of the town's Master Economic Development Plan (MEDP).
She has shown financial expertise as the former chairman of the Board of Finance, and her corporate experience and ability to think "outside the box" would serve Seymour well if she were elected first selectman.
A quick follow-up on yesterday's post about the primary in New Britain's 5th Ward. Democratic endorsed candidates Roy Centano and Lori Rocha won, leaving incumbent Democrat John Carroll off the November ballot.
Carroll campaigned with postcards and fliers, but he didn't have an army of door-to-door campaigning volunteers.
The town committee did.
"The Democratic Town Committee did me in," Carroll said after learning of the results. "I lost. No hard feelings. No remorse."
If anything, the primary resolved the question of just how powerful the Democratic Party machine really is, although Democratic Town chairman John McNamara was quick to say Tuesday that "it is not a machine; it is a group of dedicated individuals who work like a machine."
The press conference by Rep. Lawlor yesterday was incredibly powerful. I was so pleased to see Democrats like Lawlor (who was joined by Reps. Denise Merrill and Chris Caruso) treat this incident with the seriousness and gravity it deserves. Lawlor also had some very complimentary things to say about the CT blogging community and our growing power as citizen watchdogs.
But that's not all! We're at the start of a new legislative session, about which BranfordBoy writes:
Much has been (and will be) made of the so-called "veto-proof majority" enjoyed by Democrats, which strikes me as a real knee-slapper. I certainly don't expect anything much in the way of a Democratic agenda and unified Dem support for any measure, except the most non-controversial, is probably a will o' the wisp. When even the Dem Speaker of the House can't be counted on to support the Party's nominee for U.S. Senate, what sort of firm leadership can we reasonably expect? And what moral authority will Amann have to enforce Party discipline, assuming he even wants to?
Roll call votes will, I suspect, reveal not how strong the "veto-proof" Dems are but how weak, with those voting against their Party providing a useful who's who of DINOs for future reference.
So before I open this thing up to questions and discussion about the Krayeske arrest and the 2007 legislative session...
This is the first time we've had an online discussion with a state legislator here at My Left Nutmeg, and I want to thank Representative Lawlor for spending time here tonight engaging his fellow progressives. Please give him a warm My Left Nutmeg welcome.
Rep. Mike Lawlor (D-East Haven) is here to chat with 
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