Connecticut Local Politics

Well, the silly season has started early here in the 4th CD, with the announcement from Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicsz that Lee Whitnum has collected enough signatures of registered Democrats in the 4th Congressional District to force a primary.

“In just 55 days (August 12th) Democrats in Fairfield County will head to the polls to choose their nominee,” Bysiewicz said.

Under Connecticut law, there are three ways to qualify for the ballot of a party primary. A candidate can either win the endorsement of

their party convention for the seat, (such as Himes did on May 12th, ) or secure the minimal support of 15% of the convention delegates to qualify for the primary. Whitnum did not attend the convention and did not receive any delegates at the convention.

Failing that, a candidate can collect a minimum of 2% of the enrolled members of their party in the voting district in order to get on the ballot for the primary.

This will be the first primary in the 4th Congressional district since 1987, when a special election was held to fill the vacancy created by the death of Representative Stewart B. McKinney. Currently there are 130,246 registered Democrats in the 4th Congressional District.

One has to wonder who is behind Whitnum, and where she is getting her funding. One thing you might not read in the Greenwich Time: she’s consistently been in breach of FEC filing regulations.

She filed her Q3 2007 report on 10/10/07. That report listed $100 in contributions, a $5000 personal loan to her campaign, and $295 in expenditures, none of them itemized.

Whitnum didn’t file a 2007 year-end report until April 26th of this year, three months late. That report covered the period “10/01/2007 to
01/31/2007,” a non-existent reporting period. (The actual reporting period is 10/1/07 – 12/31/07). That report listed $100 in contributions and $1350 in
expenditures none of them itemized.)

Moving on to the Q1 2008 report she didn’t file until 5/10/08, one month late. That report covered the period “2/1/08 to 4/15/08″, another non-existent
reporting period (most people’s first quarters run from have been 1/1/08 to 3/31/08). That report listed $0 in contributions and $1233 in expenditures, none of them itemized.

She did not file the required pre-convention report.

Well, I guess rules are for other people, huh Lee? But with the kind of budget deficits our country is running, this kind of fiscal irresponsibility is just what we’re looking for in a Congressperson…NOT.

The Himes campaign is up for the challenge, issuing the following statement:

“I look forward to a primary,” said Himes. “I am running for Congress to bring new energy to Washington on the issues that matter most to families in our district like fixing the economy, making health care affordable, bringing our troops home from Iraq, and finally getting serious about addressing the energy crisis. I’m honored to have received the Democratic nomination for Congress and I’m grateful to the thousands of volunteers and donors here in the district who have joined our campaign for change and real leadership.”