STATE: Merrill, Williams up for re-election in Mansfield

By: Michelle Firestone

Posted: 11/3/08

Candidates are running for three offices other than for the president and congressional representative in the Mansfield elections: state senator, state representative and the registrar of voters.

Democrat Donald E. Williams and Republican Harry Carboni are running for state senator. Williams' policy priorities include campaign finance reform, ethics reform, the protection of children and improving the environment. As the chairman of the environmental committee, Williams wrote legislation to clean up power plants that were polluting Connecticut.

Carboni, Williams' challenger, formerly served as the town committee chairman in Windham and on the Windham Board of Finance, according to the Hartford Courant voters' guide.

The issues that are most important to Carboni include "run-away" spending, lowering taxes and fueling job growth, providing affordable housing and lowering the high cost of living, according to the Courant.

Denise Merrill is running unopposed for re-election as state representative. Like many of the other candidates, education is a high priority.

"She does a lot to bridge the gap between the townspeople and UConn students," said Lauren Ellis, president of the UConn College Democrats.

Beverly Miela and Andrea Epling are running unopposed for the Republican and Democratic registrar of voters positions, respectively.

Jennifer Miller, president of the UConn College Republicans, could not be reached for comment.

Both questions on this year's ballot concern the state constitution. The first question concerns whether or not there should be a Connecticut constitutional convention to amend or revise the state constitution. The second question concerns whether or not the Connecticut constitution should be amended to permit any person who will have obtained the age of 18 years on or before the day of a regular election to vote in the primary.

Ellis said that the question regarding constitutional conventions can be a double-edged sword.

"While the Constitution is meant to be a living, breathing document that evolves with its people, it can also open the door for a conservation group to get in and propose a ban on gay marriage," she said.

The Mansfield elections will be held tomorrow at Mansfield Community Center.