On Monday a Superior Court judge in Bridgeport put off granting a Republican candidate’s request to stop the Connecticut secretary of the state from certifying the re-election of a Democratic state lawmaker from Stratford.
The Republican, Jim Feehan, is asking the court to order a special election for the 120th House District in Stratford. His lawyer, Proloy Das, says that’s because incumbent Democrat Philip Young defeated Feehan by 13 votes, in an election where it appears 76 voters were given ballots for the wrong district on Election Day. Young’s attorney, Bill Bloss, argues that under state law the courts have no jurisdiction in this matter.
“There are no statutes that allow a state judge to hear election cases regarding state House and state Senate races. And because of the state Constitution they are prohibited.”
Bloss argues that only the state General Assembly can resolve election matters. He says Feehan should make his appeal to the Democratic Party-controlled state House of Representatives, when it reconvenes in January.
Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis has asked the lawyers in the case to be back in court on Wednesday to try and get the state Supreme Court to have an expedited hearing on the constitutional issues.
In the meantime, the secretary of the state is holding off on certifying Young’s election until Friday.
