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Candidates For 2nd Senate Focus on Incumbent's Record

Eric Coleman Seeking 10th Term

By STEVEN GOODE

October 15, 2012

Longtime incumbent Democratic state Sen. Eric Coleman is running for reelection in the 2nd District on his record at the legisator. Republican challenger Malvi Garcia-Lennon is running on Coleman's record, as she sees it, too.

The 2nd District includes Hartford, Bloomfield and Windsor.

Coleman, an attorney who lives in Bloomfield, was elected to his first term in the state senate in 1994 and is now chairman of the senate judiciary committee. He pointed to the work done on decriminalizing marijuana and legalizing medical marijuana in the last two years. He is also proud to get the death penalty repealed.

"We had a big year at the legislature," Coleman, said.

Garcia-Lennon has a much diiferent view of the legislature. "What's coming out of Hartford is absolute insanity," Garcia-Lennon, said. "And Eric has been a rubber stamp."

Garcia-Lennon, who was born in Cuba, lives in Windsor and owns an insurance business. She ran unsuccessfully for state representative in 2010.

The two do, however, agree that jobs are a priority in the future.

"The big issue continues to be jobs," Coleman said, adding that the issue is especially troublesome in the state's urban centers.

Coleman, 61, favored offering tax incentives to small businesses who hire people and establishing training programs for people interested in starting businesses. He also favors job creation through green energy and infrastructure-related projects.

Garcia-Lennon, 54, also believes jobs are a top issue, along with better public education and public safety, especially in the cities.

As a business owner, Malvi said she knows the frustration her colleagues experience when trying to access state programs available to them.

"Very few business owners know what's out there and the ones that do have to jump through so many hoops they get disheartened," she said. "We need to combine programs into one and make them available to every business and not pick winners and losers."

But when it comes to this election, the two again disagree on the best candidate.

Coleman said he believes he's delivered state funding for local projects, played a crucial role in judiciary committee work and deserves a 10th term.

"I never get tired of serving the public," he said. "I think I've done good."

Garcia-Lennon said she is reaching out to the small Republican voter base in the district and moderate and disgruntled Democrats with the message that "people are hurting and Hartford isn't listening. She's also reminding them that she is the endorsed Independent candidate.

"I tell them 'if you would rather cut off your right arm and break your left than vote R, you can vote I,'" she said.