Tallarita Vaults To A Fifth Term
By CHRISTINE DEMPSEY
Courant Staff Writer
November 8, 2006
ENFIELD -- State Rep. Kathleen Tallarita, D-Enfield, easily won a fifth term in Tuesday's elections, fending off a feisty challenge from Republican school board member Susan Lavelli-Hozempa.
"I'd say the people in Enfield spoke and I'm very grateful," said Tallarita, 41, after the results began coming in. "I work hard for my district and the people in Enfield recognized that."
Lavelli-Hozempa conceded at 10 p.m.
"You can quote me as saying congratulations to Kathy Tallarita," she said, adding that she got swept up in anti-Republican sentiment.
Tallarita's ample name recognition probably played a role in her success. She is a former town council member; her brother, Patrick, is mayor. Her mother used to be director of the local senior center.
Lavelli-Hozempa, 39, a board of education member who describes herself as a government watchdog, said her top goal was to cut taxes. She also wanted to make the state more attractive to energy producers, even if it means curbing environmental regulations. She supported tougher criminal sentences and state grants for private school tuition.
She referred to Tallarita as "fluffy" during the campaign.
An assistant majority leader, Tallarita is on the legislature's finance, revenue and bonding committee, and the aging and intern committees. One of her biggest accomplishments has been to bring back money to Enfield in the form of state aid, she said, including $816,000 this year.
Other accomplishments she cited during the campaign include raising the income limits for the ConnPACE prescription drug program for seniors. She also helped secure financing for a new train stop in Thompsonville and for a dredging project at Freshwater Pond.
A controversy that surfaced late in the race did not appear to have an effect on Tallarita's chances. A pair of Internet bloggers contended that a newsletter from the bank where Tallarita recently got a job looked like campaign literature. Jim Brewer and Andy Thibault also questioned in "The Cool Justice Report" whether a wine-tasting the bank sponsored was a political event.
Thibault, a former Courant editor and reporter, notified the state Elections Enforcement Commission in a letter, but no formal complaint had been filed as of Friday.
Tallarita said both the newsletter and invitations to the wine-tasting went only to bank customers.
Contact Christine Dempsey at cdempsey@courant.com.
11 comments:
COME ON PEOPLE IN ENFIELD WAKE UP OF COURSE TALLARITA IS GOING TO SAY IT ONLY WENT TO BANK CUSTOMERS WHICH IM A CUSTOMER LETS HEAR HOW MANY HONEST PEOPLE GOT ONE I DIDNT IT MUST BE NICE TO STAND THERE AND HONESTLY SAY I DID THIS AND I DID THAT WHEN SHE HAS DONE SHIT YOU PEOPLE WANTED HER IN YOU GOT HER DONT CRY WHEN TAXES GO UP
SWINGERS SWINGERS YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE I DO WANT TO SEE PICTURES
Give it a rest already. Accept your loss and move on.
Tallarita did nothing wrong, you're just jealous that she won.
Don't the people of Enfield see what is really happening in our town. And if they see it doesn't it bother them? Do they receive tax abatements on their property or so called great deals at Bernie's too. As a customer and an investor of Enf. Fed., I didn't have any wine. You can call it sour grapes but, I think it's really sour milk ...it smells. It is all about playing the games with the powers to be. Woods and Hozempa would have really served our community with our needs in mind, not their own.
A breath of fresh air.
I hope more real information comes to light so that in 2008 we can try again. People spread the word. Give out this web site for everyone to see. Thank you for this blog spot and your looking out for the concerned citizens of Enfield.
WHEN HER BROTHER IS LED AWAY IN HAND CUFFS MAY PEOPLE MIGHT THINK AND IM SICK OF HEARING MY MOMMY MY DADDY MY BROTHER THE MAYOR WHEN IS THE BABY GOING TO CUT THE CORD AND DO SOMETHING ON HER OWN LIKE GETTING A JOB
No Class Party
It was classy of Bill Kiner to concede in person when he saw the race was over. He wished his our own John Kissel good luck in person and at our hqtrs. It was classless of the losers in the 58th and 59th races to not afford their winning opponents the same treatment. MaryAnn Turner should be ashamed that she permited, likely encouraged, this classless behavior. I was at Republican hqtrs and for yet another time I was ashamed to be an Enfield Republican. We bash the Democrats and then show how low our party is willing to go is under Madame Turner's rule. I am ashamed I voted for Sue and just as ashamed that I encouraged others to vote for Charlie. Want to know who I am? Check and see who changes from R to U this week.
How many times do we have to watch the Dems win before we do something about it? Ms. Turner is wrong for our once grand old party. How many more elections will we lose? We got thumped. Can't blame this on Mr. Bush or the wave of anti-Republican sentiment. Jodie won. So did John. We lose. We stick with the same old everything. The same old chair and the same old recycled candidates. The Dems hope we don't change. Perhaps they know something?
Hey! You really think this is Turner's fault? I'm glad I'm not the only one. Send her to the Enfield Taxpayer's Party. They need help too.
Large Marge:
You say MaryAnn Turner should be ashamed that she permited, likely encouraged, this classless behavior. I was at Republican hqtrs and for yet another time I was ashamed to be an Enfield Republican. We bash the Democrats and then show how low our party is willing to go is under Madame Turner's rule.
WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!!
"Madame Turner" gave both Sue and Charlie an article on how to concede gracfully and told them they both needed to be preparred to do this a few weeks before the election. If you were really at election headquarters, you would have heard Turner tell them BOTH to go there and concede and that she would go with them. They declined to do so. Further, she called both Jarmoc and Tallarita to congratulate them on Wednesday. Woods did the same to Jarmoc.
And to frustrated gop'er, you say, The same old chair and the same old recycled candidates.
Here's a novel idea...step up to the goddamned plate yourself. There was an open call for GOP candidates months ago and these are the only 2 that wanted to run at the end of the process. Instead of bitching on this blog, get off your ass and do something about it. How many hours did you volunteer to any campaign during the election season? I'm betting not many.
And to both of you, whoever the hell you are, grow up. Instead of whinning here, come to the Town Committee meeting tonight (Enfield Room, 7pm just in case you didn't know) and air your frustrations. Learn the facts. Volunteer if you really want to elect Republicans. If not, you should change affiliations or at the very least resign from the ERTC (If you really are on it).
LARGE MARGE - I URGE you to change your party affiliation today if possible.
Clearly you're involved for your own selfish motives (or maybe just the free beer on election night). If you were really at HQ at all Tuesday night you'd know what Mrs. Turner really did.
Alas, you make yourself feel better by attempting to pin the GOP's outcome on Mary Ann... The candidates stepped up to run. The Town Committee and their supporters ran a good race, and they lost. Neither race was close. The formal act of concession was not neccessary. The Enfield Democrats last year were just as "classless" in receiving visiting candidates to their HQ. Charlie and Sue were still quite angry in their defeats, and if they didn't feel like putting an act on publicly for the victors and the leering DTC that's their perrogative. You're attempt to tie that back to the ideas of the Republican Party, Marge, is misguided and unfortunate-- and it shows that you're really not that pricipled in your political beliefs.
Congrats to Karen and Kathy. Please do well.
Hey David Kiner- You ought to think twice next election about aiming a moving car at a congressman and voters.
Your dad and you thought it was funny-"Extra points if you can knock down the whole group", is what you were told.
Disappointing behavior, David, even in jest. Show more respect for your officials and the election process, please.
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