Connecticut attorney general election, 2010
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Connecticut attorney general election was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 to elect the 24th attorney general
of the state of Connecticut. Five-term incumbent Attorney General Richard Blumenthal
declined to seek re-election in 2010, instead opting to run for Connecticut's open U.S. Senate seat
held by the retiring Christopher Dodd
. Blumenthal's decision not to seek a sixth term set-up the first open race for attorney general in the state since Blumenthal's election in 1990.
At their May 2010 state convention, Democratic
candidate George Jepsen
won the endorsement of his party outright and did not face a primary challenger. The Republican
candidate, Martha Dean, secured her party's nomination via a primary election defeat of Ross Garber on August 10.
Christopher Dodd
announced that he would not seek re-election in 2010
. On this same day, Richard Blumenthal
, the 23rd and incumbent state attorney general
, announced that he would not run for re-election for the state's top legal office and would instead seek the Democratic
nomination for Dodd's Senate seat. Blumenthal had previously been considered a likely Democratic candidate for the 2012
Senate race, when incumbent Independent Democrat
Joe Lieberman
's seat is next up.
Blumenthal's decision not to seek re-election set-up the first open race for attorney general in the state since his election in 1990.
A week after Blumenthal's announcement, on January 13, 2010, Democratic Secretary of the State
Susan Bysiewicz
announced that she would run for her party's nomination for attorney general. Bysiewicz had previously declined seeking re-election to the Secretary of the State's office to instead run in the 2010 gubernatorial election
, but dropped her candidacy when she switched to run for attorney general.
Controversy existed as to if Bysiewicz was legally qualified to run for attorney general in Connecticut, as state law requires the attorney general to be "an attorney of law of at least 10 years' active practice" in the state. Bysiewicz worked at New York law firm White and Case for two years, then in Connecticut at Robinson and Cole from 1988 to 1992 and Aetna Insurance from 1992 to 1994, totaling six years of Connecticut practice. Her campaign stated that Bysiewicz was qualified to hold the attorney general position because her service as Secretary of the State counted toward the 10-year requirement, although she "acknowledged during a [March 31, 2010] deposition that she has virtually no experience as a litigator and has never argued a case before a judge."
On May 5, 2010, Superior Court
Judge Michael Sheldon ruled that Bysiewicz was legally qualified to run for state attorney general. However, when the case reached the Connecticut Supreme Court
on May 18, Justice Flemming L. Norcott, Jr.
handed down the court's 7-0 unanimous ruling that Bysiewicz failed to meet the requirements of General Statutes Section 3-124, which outlines the qualifications for state attorney general. As a consequence, Bysiewicz could not run for attorney general in 2010, which left former State Senator
George Jepsen
the sole remaining Democratic candidate in the race.
won the Democratic nomination by acclamation at the party's state convention held on May 22, 2010.
Four Republicans contested their party's nomination at their May 22 state convention, with the convention endorsing Martha Dean. Ross Garber, whose sister-in-law is Democrat Susan Bysiewicz, attracted sufficient support to qualify for an August 10, 2010 primary and challenged Dean for the nomination. Dean then defeated Garber in the GOP primary.
in Hartford. In the debate, Dean stated that "ending the job-killing practices of the attorney general and restoring common sense to the office of attorney general" were priorities in the election, and that the size of the office and the scope of lawsuits filed by it should be reduced. Jepsen argued that Dean's desire to reduce the office's role might be counterproductive, and criticized her for wishing to join about 20 other states in challenging the federal government on the federal healthcare reforms
enacted earlier in the year.
Dean and Jepsen met again for a second debate on October 11 at the Quinnipiac University School of Law
in Hamden
.
judge Julia Aurigemma granted a dismissal of the lawsuit, stating in her decision that, "In this case, there is no statutory authority that authorizes [Dean] to bring her ... action prior to the election." Reacting to the decision, Dean said that the campaign was "evaluating the decision and our options and will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that Connecticut has an attorney general who is fully qualified to vigorously represent the state's interests in court." In his reaction, Jepsen said that the lawsuit had been a "publicity stunt" and that he "was never worried about the merits of the case in court."
line and received 15,011 votes on it. His independent and Green votes have been aggregated together on this table.
Connecticut Attorney General
The Connecticut Attorney General is the state attorney general of Connecticut.The Attorney General is elected to a four-year term. The current Attorney General is George Jepsen, a Democrat serving since January 5, 2011.-List of Attorneys General:...
of the state of Connecticut. Five-term incumbent Attorney General Richard Blumenthal
Richard Blumenthal
Richard Blumenthal is the junior United States Senator from Connecticut and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he served as Attorney General of Connecticut....
declined to seek re-election in 2010, instead opting to run for Connecticut's open U.S. Senate seat
United States Senate election in Connecticut, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate election in Connecticut was a midterm election which took place on November 2, 2010 to decide a Class III Senator from the State of Connecticut to join the 112th United States Congress. Incumbent Democratic U.S...
held by the retiring Christopher Dodd
Christopher Dodd
Christopher John "Chris" Dodd is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut for a thirty-year period ending with the 111th United States Congress....
. Blumenthal's decision not to seek a sixth term set-up the first open race for attorney general in the state since Blumenthal's election in 1990.
At their May 2010 state convention, Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate George Jepsen
George Jepsen
George Jepsen is an American lawyer, politician, and incumbent Attorney General of Connecticut.George Jepsen was a State Senator from Connecticut's 27th Senate District, representing Stamford and part of Darien, and served in the Connecticut Senate from 1991 to 2003. During his time in the Senate,...
won the endorsement of his party outright and did not face a primary challenger. The Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
candidate, Martha Dean, secured her party's nomination via a primary election defeat of Ross Garber on August 10.
Announced
- Martha Dean, attorney from Avon and 2002 Republican Attorney General nominee
- Ross Garber, attorney from Glastonbury and 2002 Republican nominee for State Treasurer
- Kie Westby, attorney from Southbury
- State Representative Arthur O'Neill of Southbury
Declined
- Mayor Jason L. McCoyJason L. McCoyJason L. McCoy is the Mayor of Vernon, Connecticut, and a lawyer. McCoy was elected to his first term in 2007. In 2009, McCoy was re-elected as mayor. He had served on the Vernon Town Council and was the Deputy Mayor of Vernon from 2005 to 2007. In 2009, McCoy was one of six mayors in Connecticut...
from VernonVernon, ConnecticutVernon is a town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 29,179 at the 2010 census.Vernon was incorporated in October, 1808, from Bolton. Vernon contains the former city of Rockville, incorporated in January, 1889. The town of Vernon and city of Rockville consolidated as a...
, who later took his name out of consideration at the convention and nominated Ross Garber - State Senator Andrew Roraback
- John Pavia, attorney from EastonEaston, ConnecticutEaston is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 7,490 at the 2010 census. Easton contains the historic district of Aspetuck....
, originally intended to seek the nomination, however, took his name out of consideration prior to the state convention
Primary polling
| Poll source | Dates administered | Martha Dean | Andrew Roraback | John Pavia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac | March 9–15, 2010 | 9% | 13% | 8% |
Announced
- Former State Senate Majority Leader George JepsenGeorge JepsenGeorge Jepsen is an American lawyer, politician, and incumbent Attorney General of Connecticut.George Jepsen was a State Senator from Connecticut's 27th Senate District, representing Stamford and part of Darien, and served in the Connecticut Senate from 1991 to 2003. During his time in the Senate,...
Declined
- Incumbent Attorney General Richard BlumenthalRichard BlumenthalRichard Blumenthal is the junior United States Senator from Connecticut and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he served as Attorney General of Connecticut....
- WaterburyWaterbury, ConnecticutWaterbury is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford and 77 miles northeast of New York City...
Mayor Michael JarjuraMichael JarjuraMichael Jarjura is the Mayor of Waterbury, Connecticut.He was first elected in 2001 and reelected in 2003. In 2005, he was elected to a third term as a write-in candidate after losing the Democratic primary... - State Representative Cameron Staples
Disqualified
- Secretary of the StateSecretary of the State of ConnecticutThe Secretary of the State of Connecticut is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is an elected position in the state government and has a term length of four years....
Susan BysiewiczSusan BysiewiczSusan Bysiewicz served as Secretary of the State of Connecticut from 1999 to 2011. She was briefly a candidate for Governor of Connecticut in 2010, before dropping out to run for Connecticut Attorney General. She was disqualified from running for the office by the Connecticut Supreme Court and...
Primary poling
| Poll source | Dates administered | Susan Bysiewicz | George Jepsen | Michael Jarjura |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quinnipiac | March 9–15, 2010 | 54% | 10% | — |
| Quinnipiac | January 14–19, 2010 | 62% | 10% | 3% |
Early campaign
On January 6, 2010, five-term Connecticut United States SenatorUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Christopher Dodd
Christopher Dodd
Christopher John "Chris" Dodd is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut for a thirty-year period ending with the 111th United States Congress....
announced that he would not seek re-election in 2010
United States Senate election in Connecticut, 2010
The 2010 United States Senate election in Connecticut was a midterm election which took place on November 2, 2010 to decide a Class III Senator from the State of Connecticut to join the 112th United States Congress. Incumbent Democratic U.S...
. On this same day, Richard Blumenthal
Richard Blumenthal
Richard Blumenthal is the junior United States Senator from Connecticut and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he served as Attorney General of Connecticut....
, the 23rd and incumbent state attorney general
Connecticut Attorney General
The Connecticut Attorney General is the state attorney general of Connecticut.The Attorney General is elected to a four-year term. The current Attorney General is George Jepsen, a Democrat serving since January 5, 2011.-List of Attorneys General:...
, announced that he would not run for re-election for the state's top legal office and would instead seek the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nomination for Dodd's Senate seat. Blumenthal had previously been considered a likely Democratic candidate for the 2012
United States Senate election in Connecticut, 2012
The 2012 United States Senate election in Connecticut will be held on November 6, 2012 in conjunction with the 2012 U.S. presidential election, other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and...
Senate race, when incumbent Independent Democrat
Independent Democrat
Independent Democrat is a term occasionally adopted by American politicians to refer to their party affiliation. Several elected officials, including members of Congress, have identified as " Independent Democrats."...
Joe Lieberman
Joe Lieberman
Joseph Isadore "Joe" Lieberman is the senior United States Senator from Connecticut. A former member of the Democratic Party, he was the party's nominee for Vice President in the 2000 election. Currently an independent, he remains closely affiliated with the party.Born in Stamford, Connecticut,...
's seat is next up.
Blumenthal's decision not to seek re-election set-up the first open race for attorney general in the state since his election in 1990.
A week after Blumenthal's announcement, on January 13, 2010, Democratic Secretary of the State
Secretary of the State of Connecticut
The Secretary of the State of Connecticut is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is an elected position in the state government and has a term length of four years....
Susan Bysiewicz
Susan Bysiewicz
Susan Bysiewicz served as Secretary of the State of Connecticut from 1999 to 2011. She was briefly a candidate for Governor of Connecticut in 2010, before dropping out to run for Connecticut Attorney General. She was disqualified from running for the office by the Connecticut Supreme Court and...
announced that she would run for her party's nomination for attorney general. Bysiewicz had previously declined seeking re-election to the Secretary of the State's office to instead run in the 2010 gubernatorial election
Connecticut gubernatorial election, 2010
The 2010 Connecticut gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 2010 to elect the 73rd Governor of Connecticut. Incumbent Governor M. Jodi Rell had announced in a press conference in Hartford on November 9, 2009, that she would not seek re-election in 2010...
, but dropped her candidacy when she switched to run for attorney general.
Controversy existed as to if Bysiewicz was legally qualified to run for attorney general in Connecticut, as state law requires the attorney general to be "an attorney of law of at least 10 years' active practice" in the state. Bysiewicz worked at New York law firm White and Case for two years, then in Connecticut at Robinson and Cole from 1988 to 1992 and Aetna Insurance from 1992 to 1994, totaling six years of Connecticut practice. Her campaign stated that Bysiewicz was qualified to hold the attorney general position because her service as Secretary of the State counted toward the 10-year requirement, although she "acknowledged during a [March 31, 2010] deposition that she has virtually no experience as a litigator and has never argued a case before a judge."
On May 5, 2010, Superior Court
Connecticut Superior Court
The Connecticut Superior Court is the Connecticut state trial court of general jurisdiction. It hears all matters other than those heard by the Connecticut Probate Courts...
Judge Michael Sheldon ruled that Bysiewicz was legally qualified to run for state attorney general. However, when the case reached the Connecticut Supreme Court
Connecticut Supreme Court
The Connecticut Supreme Court, formerly known as the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors, is the highest court in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It consists of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven justices sit in Hartford, across the street from the Connecticut State Capitol...
on May 18, Justice Flemming L. Norcott, Jr.
Flemming L. Norcott, Jr.
Flemming L. Norcott, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. He was appointed to the Connecticut Superior Court in 1979 and remained there until his elevation to the Connecticut Appellate Court in 1987. He was appointed to the Connecticut Supreme Court in 1992. He also serves...
handed down the court's 7-0 unanimous ruling that Bysiewicz failed to meet the requirements of General Statutes Section 3-124, which outlines the qualifications for state attorney general. As a consequence, Bysiewicz could not run for attorney general in 2010, which left former State Senator
Connecticut Senate
The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 94,600 inhabitants. Senators are elected to two-year terms without term limits...
George Jepsen
George Jepsen
George Jepsen is an American lawyer, politician, and incumbent Attorney General of Connecticut.George Jepsen was a State Senator from Connecticut's 27th Senate District, representing Stamford and part of Darien, and served in the Connecticut Senate from 1991 to 2003. During his time in the Senate,...
the sole remaining Democratic candidate in the race.
Nominations
George JepsenGeorge Jepsen
George Jepsen is an American lawyer, politician, and incumbent Attorney General of Connecticut.George Jepsen was a State Senator from Connecticut's 27th Senate District, representing Stamford and part of Darien, and served in the Connecticut Senate from 1991 to 2003. During his time in the Senate,...
won the Democratic nomination by acclamation at the party's state convention held on May 22, 2010.
Four Republicans contested their party's nomination at their May 22 state convention, with the convention endorsing Martha Dean. Ross Garber, whose sister-in-law is Democrat Susan Bysiewicz, attracted sufficient support to qualify for an August 10, 2010 primary and challenged Dean for the nomination. Dean then defeated Garber in the GOP primary.
Republican primary
Debates
On September 23, 2010, Martha Dean and George Jepsen participated in a debate sponsored by the Connecticut Law Tribune and the University of Connecticut School of LawUniversity of Connecticut School of Law
The University of Connecticut School of Law is the only public law school in Connecticut and one of only four in New England. The school was recently ranked forty-sixth out of the 190 American Bar Association-accredited law schools in the United States and is considered a Tier 1 school by U.S...
in Hartford. In the debate, Dean stated that "ending the job-killing practices of the attorney general and restoring common sense to the office of attorney general" were priorities in the election, and that the size of the office and the scope of lawsuits filed by it should be reduced. Jepsen argued that Dean's desire to reduce the office's role might be counterproductive, and criticized her for wishing to join about 20 other states in challenging the federal government on the federal healthcare reforms
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. The law is the principal health care reform legislation of the 111th United States Congress...
enacted earlier in the year.
Dean and Jepsen met again for a second debate on October 11 at the Quinnipiac University School of Law
Quinnipiac University School of Law
Quinnipiac University School of Law is the law school of the Quinnipiac University. The School is the youngest law school in the U.S. state of Connecticut, having received full accreditation from the American Bar Association in 1995. It is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. It is...
in Hamden
Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant." Hamden is home to Quinnipiac University. The population was 58,180 according to the Census Bureau's 2005 estimates...
.
Polling
| Poll source | Dates administered | George Jepsen (D) | Martha Dean (R) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suffolk University | October 19–20, 2010 | 40% | 28% |
Martha Dean lawsuit
Claiming that Jepsen was not qualified to hold office, Dean filed a lawsuit on October 26 requesting the courts remove Jepsen from the following week's ballot. Dean's rationale for bringing the lawsuit forward was based on Jepsen's admission that he did not have a background in litigation and the fact that he lacked admission to argue cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. One day after the election, on November 3, Superior CourtConnecticut Superior Court
The Connecticut Superior Court is the Connecticut state trial court of general jurisdiction. It hears all matters other than those heard by the Connecticut Probate Courts...
judge Julia Aurigemma granted a dismissal of the lawsuit, stating in her decision that, "In this case, there is no statutory authority that authorizes [Dean] to bring her ... action prior to the election." Reacting to the decision, Dean said that the campaign was "evaluating the decision and our options and will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that Connecticut has an attorney general who is fully qualified to vigorously represent the state's interests in court." In his reaction, Jepsen said that the lawsuit had been a "publicity stunt" and that he "was never worried about the merits of the case in court."
Results
Note: Jepsen also appeared on the line of the Connecticut Working Families Party and received 22,868 votes on it. His Working Families and Democratic votes have been aggregated together on this table. Fournier also appeared on the independentIndependent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
line and received 15,011 votes on it. His independent and Green votes have been aggregated together on this table.