Four candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for state Senate to represent Bridgeport, Trumbull and Monroe debated at the Trumbull library on Thursday night in an event that was a stark contrast to the national political climate.
“It sounds like almost a broken record because we almost all agree on just about everything,” Former Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch told the audience of 100.
Finch, Bridgeport City Councilman Scott Burns, Quinnipiac professor Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox and former Bridgeport City Councilman Tyler Mack all answered questions for an hour in the debate hosted by the League of Women Voters.
The state’s 22nd Senate District was held by Senator Marilyn Moore for ten years. Moore has endorsed Mack.
Bridgeport resident John Marshall Lee, who was taking detailed notes during the debate, said he was relieved by the respect and civility of the candidates and audience.
“After what I see on television, yeah, it's a relief,” Marshall Lee said. "People seem to be having fun with each other. And we can't get so serious that we forget these are our neighbors. These are citizens. They got rights, too.”
Lee said he’ll have lawn signs for three of the candidates in his yard ahead of the Aug. 13 primary to raise awareness about the election.
Two topics got the biggest reaction by far: primary reform and protecting the electoral system.
All four candidates are in favor of opening the state's primaries to allow voters who are not registered with a party to participate.
“Any constraint you put on people voting and people selecting their candidates will just sort of narrow it down,” Gadkar-Wilcox said. “One, it will also not energize people to sort of be excited and be and get involved. But also, you know, it will limit the number of people that are interested in participating. So open primaries create better access, and that creates, I think, a better democracy. And we should all support that.”
All four candidates said there’s work to do to avoid another absentee ballot scandal — but that they have to continue to support mail in voting.
“I agree that we need to increase penalties for those who are doing wrong, but we also need to educate and provide resources to the Secretary of State's office so we can have nonpartisan education on elections,” Mack said.
“But also, let's remember that there are rules and laws on the books, people were arrested, and people are now going through trial,” Mack said. "So, let's also keep that in mind. We also cannot fall into the Republican talking points because democracy is at stake right now.”
The audience also paid attention to the question of how each candidate would navigate the district's vast differences.
Burns said he was comfortable with the economic and social discrepancies because of his experience as a city council member.
“My district, for example, has some beautiful waterfront homes, essentially million-dollar type homes, but you travel a mile and you're in one of the poorest and largest housing developments in the city,” Burns said. “And that's my district, and I've learned how to navigate answering the constituents' needs in those different areas.”
The primary is on Aug. 13. Early, in-person voting runs from August 5-11.
