Connecticut voters have been hearing a lot from candidates in 2010 — on the airwaves, in print, in robocalls. Far too much of it has been fear mongering and character assassination, as campaign wizards rely on the static created by anger to overwhelm critical thought. It is as if the politicians’ own biggest fear is that voters might think for themselves. As we head to the polls next Tuesday, one question we will be thinking about is: What have you done for us lately? The answers to that question have led us to pick the following candidates for election this year.

In 20 years as Connecticut’s attorney general, Richard Blumenthal has faithfully executed his role as guardian of the public’s legal interests, taking up the cause of consumer, environmental, and small business interests. Lately, he led the effort to rid prostitution ads from Craigslist, investigated the double-digit rate increases in many Anthem health plans, and warned state residents of foreclosure scams a full year before this year’s foreclosure scandals erupted. This year, he worked just as diligently out of the spotlight to press the state Department of Public Utility Control and the Department of Public Health of reconsider their endorsement of the extension of Newtown’s water supply system into Brookfield. And in January he threw his weight as attorney general behind Newtown’s Inland Wetlands Commission’s legal jurisdiction over the Housatonic Railroad’s waste transfer operations in Hawleyville.

Mr Blumenthal’s occasional and troubling claims of service in Vietnam, when in fact he was serving stateside in the Marine Reserves, are unfortunately reflective of the hubris-of-the-moment found all too frequently on the campaign stump these days. For decades, however, he has been present and accounted for in the trenches of public service in Connecticut with a distinguished record. That is more than we can say for his opponent, Linda McMahon, who has bet $50 million of her own money on her ability to convince us that running World Wrestling Entertainment and making lots of money in that dubious endeavor somehow qualifies her to represent the priorities and values of the people of Connecticut in the US Senate. We endorse Richard Blumenthal in his bid for election.

Success in public service also tips the scale in our choice for governor. Former Stamford mayor Democrat Dan Malloy and former US ambassador Republican Thomas Foley come to their showdown for Connecticut’s top administrative office with impressive credentials.

A successful businessman and longtime supporter of Republican candidates and causes, Mr Foley won the attention of George W. Bush through his prodigious fundraising efforts for the former president. His Bush administration ties earned him an important oversight role in Iraq, developing state-owned business and the private sector prior to his appointment as ambassador to Ireland. His bid for governor is his first attempt at elective office. Mr Malloy, a lawyer and former prosecutor, served as mayor of Stamford for 14 years when that city became one of Connecticut’s few urban success stories, attracting people and jobs to the city when other Connecticut cities were in decline.

It is hard to compare the records of these two men, whose arc of accomplishment has taken two very different tracks. With our state facing a fiscal crisis and the daunting challenges of balancing state and local interests in an economic downturn, we choose Mr Malloy, the candidate with extensive experience with state and local issues. While some may see his good working relationship with labor unions as a liability in this election, we see it as a good starting point for engaging the state’s unions in cost-saving solutions in the state’s efforts to get its expenses under control.

Finally, in the Fifth District, our support goes to the incumbent Democrat Chris Murphy. What has he done for us lately? Plenty.

Mr Murphy signed on early to help the residents of Hawleyville save their post office. In concert with local officials, the US Postal Service was persuaded to build a new post office in Hawleyville at a time when it was cutting back on facilities across the country. He has taken a special interest in finding federal funds and a way forward in cleaning up and reclaiming the vacant Batchelder industrial site on Swamp Road in Botsford. He worked with local firefighters to win a $143,000 Department of Homeland Security grant for Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company. And he joined again with Hawleyville residents to put the brakes on the Housatonic Railroad’s plans to drastically expand its solid waste handling operations there and to get state environmental officials to rethink and restrict the project. Frankly, it has been a while since we have had a congressman as involved in Newtown issues as Chris Murphy.

Mr Murphy’s opponent, Republican State Senator Sam Caliguiri, whose political skills were forged in Waterbury’s rough-and-tumble political crucible, hopes to leverage general dissatisfaction with Washington into a spot in the back benches of what is expected to be an emerging Republican majority in the US House of Representatives. His problem from our point of view, however, is that Christopher Murphy has been a very good friend to Newtown in his two terms in Congress. It is not something we are about to forget.

For State Legislative Offices

State Senate Minority Leader John McKinney has in the past 12 years has become a key player in negotiating the gaps between a popular Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell and a strong Democratic majority in both the state Senate and House. All the while, he has been a clear voice for the towns and cities of Fairfield County. Democrats are expected to hang on to their majorities in the legislature, and perhaps pick up the governor’s office as well. This is not the time to lose Mr McKinney’s clear voice or, for that matter, the leverage in Hartford he has earned for himself and his constituents by working in good faith with fellow legislators on both sides of the aisle. In the coming battles over how to close state budget gaps of nearly $7 billion in the next two years, Mr McKinney’s ideas on “flat spending,” privatization of some state services, and consolidation of state agencies may not win the day, but they need to be part of the discussion. His opponent, Democrat Mitchell Fuchs, as a freshman member of the majority, won’t be talking about these issues and, frankly, won’t be heard.

Two years ago, in the 106th Assembly District race, we endorsed the candidacy of Republican Will Rodgers, believing that the vacancy created by the retirement of longtime State Representative Julia Wasserman deserved a candidate with the kind of political maturity and experience Mr Rodgers offered to the voters. The voters of the 106th District disagreed with us and elected Christopher Lyddy. We now bow to the wisdom of those voters. Mr Lyddy served an exemplary freshman term in the General Assembly, setting a standard of constituent service that many popular legislative veterans would have a hard time meeting. When Newtown residents of all political persuasions approached him with concerns ranging from autism and Lyme disease to education and environmental standards, he worked to stick with them and stick with the issues not until he was satisfied, but until they were satisfied. With that kind of record, it is our turn to stick with him this year.

Once again, we are endorsing the candidacy of Democrat Michelle Mount for election in the 112th Assembly District. As a member of the Town Council in Monroe and as a former legislative liaison for the City of Bridgeport, Ms Mount has a grasp of the issues and challenges facing Connecticut’s towns and cities. Her advocacy for property tax relief, support for education, and investment in tourism and tax incentives for small business reflect the interests of Newtown and Monroe. She is articulate and can think on her feet, as we saw in The Bee’s October 19 Candidates’ Debate. She is truly representative of our towns.

For Judge Of Probate

The first-ever election of a probate judge for the newly formed Northern Fairfield County Probate District, comprising the towns of Newtown, Ridgefield, Redding, and Bethel, gives voters a choice between two experienced and respected lawyers. The Republican, Joseph Egan, Jr, of Ridgefield, has been an attorney for almost 40 years and a probate judge, mostly in the Ridgefield court, for more than 20 years. The Democrat, Timothy Holian, of Newtown, has practiced law locally for 27 years with an emphasis on probate issues. Both men would bring the kind of specialized knowledge, professionalism, and compassion required for a court that is supposed to represent the interests of those who are least able to represent themselves: the elderly, the young, and the incapacitated.

We are supporting the candidacy of Mr Holian, however, and not solely because of his familiarity with the people and needs of Newtown. Unlike Mr Egan, Timothy Holian has pledged to bring a full-time commitment to the court, forsaking his private practice for as long as he serves in this office. The six-figure salary of the position, he says, is commensurate with a full-time effort. The new regional probate district will serve the probate requirements of 78,000 people, which is a significant work load. Add to that the inevitable extra duties associated with the restructuring of the probate district, and there is clearly a need for the kind of commitment Mr Holian has made.