HARTFORD, CT — Connecticut’s former top election official went to her old office Thursday to file paperwork to make her gubernatorial run official.
However, it was the wrong office. The Secretary of the State’s office no longer handles those filings. They now fall under the jurisdiction of the State Elections Enforcement Commission.
Luckily, the SEEC’s offices are a few doors down and Susan Bysiewicz successfully changed her campaign over from a statewide exploratory one to a gubernatorial one within a few minutes.
“We’re going to give a courtesy copy to the Secretary of the State’s office and we just thought it was a better venue,” Bysiewicz said of the confusion.
The three term secretary of state, who was an early frontrunner in the race for governor back in 2010 before deciding to run for attorney general, said she’s knocked on 10,000 doors and was encouraged by voters in Middletown and other parts of the 13th state Senate district to run for the state’s top spot. Bysiewicz has been planning to challenge Sen. Len Suzio, R-Meriden.
“Our state needs a special leader. One that has both experience working in government,” and business, Bysiewicz said.
Over the past seven years that she hasn’t held elected office, Bysiewicz said as an attorney in private practice she’s helped 80 Connecticut companies get financing and grow jobs.
Of the nearly 30 candidates running for governor Bysiewicz is the only one who has previously held statewide office.
Bysiewicz, 56, was running for governor in 2010 when she decided to change her focus and run for attorney general instead. Former U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd decided not to seek re-election that year, and then-Attorney General Richard Blumenthal decided to run for the seat.
The Supreme Court found Bysiewicz didn’t have enough experience as a lawyer to run for attorney general. In 2012, she sought the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate after former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman announced he wasn’t seeking re-election. She was defeated in a Democratic primary by U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy.
There are several other Democratic candidates vying for the top spot including Ned Lamont, Dita Bhargava, Jonathan Harris, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin, Guy Smith, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, and Sean Connolly.
