A ‘Uniter’ For the District – Government Reformer Chris Caruso Endorses Sujata For State Senate July 17, 2024 Lennie Grimaldi City Politics, State Politics1 Comment </p> <p>Fronting the state court house on Main Street Downtown with a message of “free and fair elections” government reformer and two-time mayoral candidate Chris Caruso, who shepherded Connecticut’s landmark Citizens Election Program of publicly funded campaigns to limit the influence of special interests, endorsed on Wednesday constitutional law professor Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox for State Senate to replace a retiring Marilyn Monroe in the Bridgeport, Trumbull and Monroe 22nd District.</p> <p>As he noted, Caruso is sparse about issuing endorsements: “Over the years, I have intentionally withheld my endorsement of candidates for elected office because many have not impressed me. But in Sujata, I find an intelligent, accomplished, deeply caring and passionate candidate who is eager to make a difference in the lives of people.”</p> <figure id="attachment_136811" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-large wp-image-136811" src="http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sujatacaruso-1024x681.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="499" srcset="http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sujatacaruso-1024x681.jpg 1024w, http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sujatacaruso-220x146.jpg 220w, http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sujatacaruso-440x293.jpg 440w, http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sujatacaruso-768x511.jpg 768w, http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sujatacaruso-300x200.jpg 300w, http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sujatacaruso-420x280.jpg 420w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">State Senate candidate Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox nets key endorsement from Chris Caruso, right, in front of court house.</figcaption></figure> <p>Caruso said he communicated with the other candidates in the race – former Mayor Bill Finch, City Councilman Scott Burns and ex councilman Tyler Mack – prior to making a decision to endorse.</p> <p>A linchpin to his decision, said Caruso, is her passion to speak on on behalf of “fair elections as the cornerstone of democracy” as well as beefing up laws to address absentee ballot abuses.</p> <p>Caruso earned his early government stripes on the City Council representing the North End. He elevated to the State House in 1990 defeating incumbent Bob Keeley in a Democratic primary. Spending 20 years in the legislature, along the way, he came up just short in mayoral primaries against John Fabrizi in 2003 and Bill Finch in 2007 running as an activist against the political establishment. He retired from the legislature in 2010, accepting a state appointment from then Governor Dan Malloy.</p> <p>Caruso served as House chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee where he brokered the public financing program following the federal corruption conviction of former Governor John Rowland. Caruso also passed legislation requiring individuals to sign out absentee ballot applications and the serial numbering of those applications to provide a paper trail for future investigations.</p> <p><img class="size-large wp-image-136819" src="http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sujatacaruso2-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="750" height="500" srcset="http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sujatacaruso2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sujatacaruso2-220x146.jpg 220w, http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sujatacaruso2-440x293.jpg 440w, http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sujatacaruso2-768x511.jpg 768w, http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sujatacaruso2-300x200.jpg 300w, http://onlyinbridgeport.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/sujatacaruso2-420x280.jpg 420w" sizes="(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px" /> </p> <p dir="ltr">“I am honored to receive this invaluable endorsement from Chris,” said Gadkar-Wilcox. “As a former Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs Fellow and a member of the Trumbull Ethics Commission, I am committed to rooting out corruption and fraud. Your support is a powerful testament to our shared vision of a transparent government and fair elections. In the Senate, I will tirelessly advocate for the preservation of public election financing.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“In Sujata, I’ve found a candidate and future Senator who will not blend into the beautiful tapestry and woodwork of the Capitol, but rather speak out and fight for the people of the 22nd Senatorial District to improve their quality of life and to fight for fair and honest elections especially in eradicating flagrant corruption and disregard for the law in the Bridgeport absentee ballot scandals,” Caruso said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Caruso added the other candidates have been silent on absentee ballot reform.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Frankly, the silence of the other candidates and current elected officials has been deafening and as a longtime Bridgeport resident and voter, I am fed-up with the silence. Plato said it best, ‘Silence is Consent,’ and to add insult to injury, an individual indicted for absentee ballot abuse has publicly stated that one of the candidates is paying him to circulate absentee ballot applications on his behalf. Is there no shame?”</p> <p dir="ltr">Caruso added, “Sujata has the ability, qualifications and life experiences to bring together Bridgeport, Trumbull, and Monroe as a strong regional hub to advance mutual interests at the State Capitol. With the unified support of over 200,000 residents of the three communities, things will get done at the State Capitol which will directly benefit the quality of life of all her constituents.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Gadkar-Wilcox backs the appointment of election monitors with robust investigative and enforcement powers, secure central storage of absentee ballots, implement regular spot-checks, and impose strict limits on campaign access to absentee ballots.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We must also impose stiffer penalties for absentee ballot fraud to deter continued abuse,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also called on the FBI to investigate absentee ballot abuse, and announced that she was already putting together a legal team should evidence of any abuse of the absentee ballot process arise in the 22nd Senate race.</p> <p> 0
A new broom sweeps clean.