Six Contenders For Secretary Of The State Solicit Support

By John Voket

(This is the first of a two-part story on Democratic candidates for the secretary of the state’s office who conducted a recent information forum in Newtown.)

At a historic and arguably one of the most critical times in the history of Connecticut’s secretary of the state’s office, six Democratic contenders are vying for the opportunity to replace current officeholder Susan Bysiewicz, who has declared her candidacy for governor. Those six candidates introduced themselves to local Democratic party faithful and other members of the public at a Thursday evening forum last week at Edmond Town Hall.

With a fortune already hanging in the balance, thanks to Ms Bysiewicz’s acceptance of $32 million in federal grant money for handicapped accessible voting terminals, the next secretary of the state will almost certainly be overseeing a statewide transition from mechanical to electronic voting technology. Currently, the secretary’s office is in the process of reviewing proposals from several vendors, one of which will likely supply the first round of electronic machines which Ms Bysiewicz has vowed will be in place by Election Day 2006.

The federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) has mandated that all states accepting grant funding have fully accessible terminals available in each voting precinct by January 2007. Additionally, Connecticut recently passed legislation mandating all voting technology used in the state issue a voter verified paper trail to ensure both the integrity and security of votes cast, while providing a hard copy means to manually audit precincts, or conduct manual recounts.

The concern that virtually every candidate touched upon to some degree at last week’s forum is ensuring that the state and its communities get the best technology possible, while keeping a wary eye on long-term training, equipment storage, and hardware and software upgrade costs.

The secretary of the state contenders included former Hartford councilwoman and current State Representative Evelyn Mantilla who has been campaigning for the post for months, but who only formally announced her candidacy last Monday by filing papers with the very official she hopes to replace.

Ms Mantilla was joined at the Newtown event by hopefuls Norma Rodriguez Reyes, John Nussbaum, Audrey Blondin, Robert Landino, and another current state representative seeking the secretary of the state post, Andre Fleischmann.

Business Backgrounds Cited

According to her bio, Ms Mantilla came to Hartford from Puerto Rico in 1978. She was elected state representative in February 1997 in a special election for Hartford’s Fourth Assembly District, and is now serving as deputy majority leader in the House of Representatives, the first Latina woman to rise to this level. She spoke to the audience about being uniquely qualified to bring the state through the complicated process of integrating computerized voting.

Ms Mantilla said her experience in computer systems and technology spans more than 18 years during which she has managed staff, operations, and projects in large and small organizations. Her bio states that the candidate has excelled in her training abilities, particularly in the area of computer software, and currently works as an independent consultant advising clients and designing effective database systems.

Mr Nussbaum joined the Democratic Party in 1988 and quickly went on to become an active statewide Democrat in Connecticut participating in, volunteering for, and supporting multiple state and local races. In 1998 and in 2002, Mr Nussbaum campaigned for the Democratic nomination for governor but stepped aside on both occasions to eventually support the endorsed party candidates.

As a broker, principally involved in the sale of commercial real estate, Mr Nussbaum claims an intimate understanding of the state’s economy and the issues that challenge its citizens. He is currently president of JSN Partners, LLC, a New Haven real estate investment and consulting company he formed in 2003, and made it a point to assert that he holds no financial ties or involvement with any state or local government in Connecticut.

Local, State Experience

Ms Blondin told the gathering that she currently works as an attorney in Torrington with 25 years experience in the areas of real estate, bankruptcy, wills, and probate. For the last three years she has served as the Connecticut director of the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys.

From 1993 to 2003, Ms Blondin served as a member of the Litchfield Board of Selectmen and is currently the Democratic State Central Committeewoman from the 30th District, serving 15 towns in the Northwest Corner. As a secretary of the state hopeful, she pledged to continue to advocate and support every aspect of voter participation, particularly among 18–25 year olds, as well as promoting campaign finance reform, supporting services within the secretary of the state’s office for small businesses, and continuing to work keeping all corporations accountable in upholding their legal and ethical obligations to keep their information current and in tune with the letter of the law.

Besides 15 years in public service including current duties as chairman of the Education Committee, chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee for Elementary and Secondary Education, and member of the Joint Committee on Government Administration & Elections, secretary of the state candidate Andrew Fleischmann works as a communications and strategic planning consultant.

Rep Fleischmann’s bio notes a period of practical experience preceding his elected tenure working as a staff member in the state comptroller’s office. According to a circulated bio, he aims to raise voter registration and voter participation in Connecticut so that the state can lead the nation in these areas — as it already does with regard to education and income.

As he began campaigning for the secretary of the state post, Mr Fleischmann said he was committed to ensuring any electronic voting machines used in Connecticut include a voter verifiable paper trail, and co-sponsored the house bill that was recently signed by Governor Rell. He also pledged to take the big money out of politics through comprehensive campaign finance reform.

Public, Publishing       Background

Ms Reyes told the Newtown assembly that she came to the United States as a child and eventually went on to graduate from UConn. She not only served as director of the New Haven’s Department of Elderly Services for 25 years, but went on to become publisher of La Voz Hispana de Connecticut, the state’s largest circulating weekly Spanish-language newspaper.

Her political background includes a stint as vice-chair of the New Haven Democratic Town Committee, commissioner and secretary for Connecticut’s Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission and the first Hispanic member of the State Central Committee, and first Hispanic member of the state’s electoral college delegation.

She told the Newtown audience that she wants to make the secretary of the state office even more business friendly, employing or enlisting volunteers to serve as advisors to state residents seeking to establish their own small businesses. Ms Reyes said she also wants to make the secretary of the state office mare voter friendly, and will remain committed to assisting current and new voters in transitioning to mandated computerized voting technology.

Mr Landino rounded out the field of visiting candidates, claiming to bring an equal balance of business savvy and a spirit for public service to the fore. He told the Newtown audience that in 1987, he started a design company with $1,000 out of his garage that has flourished to become the largest independently owned design consulting firm in the state.

He vowed, if elected, to sell his interest in the firm to fully focus his energies on secretary of the state issues. Mr Landino’s record of public service includes holding a volunteer post on the Old Saybrook Conservation Commission, and in 1991, an elected position on that town’s Board of Selectmen.

In 1995, he won a hard-fought battle to the state legislature where he served until 2000 holding the vice chairman post on the powerful Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, and Judiciary Committee as well as chairing the Banks Committee. During his tenure, Mr Landino also served on the committee of cognizance for the secretary of the state office, developing expertise on many of the reform issues that are being initiated in that office today.

(Next week, The Bee will focus on answers each of the six secretary of the state candidates provided to questions about several key issues related to that office including concerns about the future of electronic voting integration across the state.)