One of the races to watch this fall is in Connecticut’s 4th Senate District, where Republican David Blackwell is waging a strong challenge campaign to Democrat State Sen. Mary Ann Handley. Blackwell, an attorney and former State Rep., hosted Governor M. Jodi Rell in Glastonbury yesterday afternoon to add a boost to his campaign.

Nearly 100 people joined Mr. Blackwell at Chip Beckett’s farm in Glastonbury for apple cider, cookies, and a chat with the Governor. Blackwell heaped praise on the Governor, citing several of the Governor’s efforts - like the Charter Oak Health Plan - that have made a real difference for the people in Connecticut. The Governor in return praised Blackwell for his experience and dedication to his community with such efforts as supportive housing.

The race in the Fourth promises to be one of the most exciting in the State. Handley is a classic case of a nice lady who has been in Hartford too long. Blackwell has experience as a State Representative from 1998-2002, as well as his record of achievement as a small businessman (he has a law firm in Manchester) and community servant. Most importantly, though he is already working hard for the job.

He has already knocked on thousands of doors in the four town district - Manchester, Glastonbury, Marlborough, and Bolton - and interestingly, he is keeping account of his travels on a blog, Doors with David.  The entries are revealing:

One of the last doors I knocked on was a friend who provides professional advice to small businesses. This friend knows the legislature well, and shared ominous warnings for the success of Connecticut’s economy if the legislature doesn’t begin to “get it.” I heard that 75% of Connecticut’s businesses employ less than 9 employees, and that the legislature was hardest on these small businesses. I also heard that many of Connecticut’s businesses are within reach of a border – Massachusetts, New York or Rhode Island - and many of them could locate elsewhere but still operate in Connecticut. Again, the point was that the Connecticut legislature doesn’t get it.

We need a great deal of change here in Connecticut - our cost of living and rate of taxation is too high while too many people leave the state for greener pastures. It is time to stop the bleeding and send legislators - like Blackwell - who “get it” to Hartford.

The front page of the Hartford Courant today features a huge color photo of U.S. Congressman Christopher Shays standing next to the presumptive Republican nominee for President, John McCain.  The headline is “A Tough Audience”.  First-hand accounts from the event suggest otherwise.  “He was treated like a rock star,” said one Republican in attendance.  The Hartford Courant once again defies even the lowest of expectations - but alas.

There is another story that you probably won’t read about in the Hartford Courant or whatever the local liberal rag is in your neck of the woods.  Republicans are having a terrific candidate recruitment season for the State House and State Senate.  Encouraged by a level financial playing field and disgusted with the hopeless ineptitude of the Democrats in the Legislature, with the additional bonus of running with Senator John McCain at the top of a short ballot in CT, the GOP is primed for an exciting fall campaign season.

Some of the highlights:

Chris Coutu - The 47th State House District is made up of the eastern Connecticut towns of Canterbury, Scotland, Sprague, and the Taftville section of Norwich.  The district has been represented by Democrat Jack Malone.  He will be challenged by Norwich Alderman Chris Coutu.  Coutu has quite a life story he’ll be telling to the residents of the 47th over the coming months.  He has a high energy style and a personable demeanor that rightly has Jack Malone sweating bullets.  You might remember that there was a bit of a brohuahua when Coutu announced, as Rep. Malone yelped about the fact that Coutu didn’t live in the district.  The rub of course was that Coutu grew up in the district, lived there for 30 years, and apparently is in the process of moving back into the district.  In a district that has had a tough time economically over the past few years and is ready for energetic new leadership, Chris Coutu is ready to deliver.

Rob Arute - The 53rd Assembly district is comprised of Tolland, Willington, and Ashford.  They narrowly elected Bryan Hurlburt in 2006 despite a strong challenge from Tolland Republican April Teveris, whose campaign benefitted from the James Bond-style slogan “April in November”.  The 53rd is a lean-Democrat district on paper, with a heavy influence of UCONN employees, off-campus students, and a strong presence of blue collar-types.  But Mr. Rob Arute, of Tolland, is primed to make a strong run at Hurlburt in 2008.  The Arute family is well known in the area for their ownership and management of the Stafford Motor Speedway (Take a minute to read the track history - very interesting).  This rapport with local racing fans and visibility may be the ‘fast lane’ to victory for Arute, and stall Hurlburt’s rise up the political ladder.

Theresa McGrath - The a former leader of the well-known West Hartford Taxpayer’s Association, Theresa McGrath is a veteran of West Hartford politics and was the highest Republican vote getter in Town in her bid for Town Clerk last year.  She is running for Bob Farr’s old 19th District seat, representing a portion of West Hartford, Avon, and a bit of Farmington.  The seat is currently held by Rep. Beth Bye.  West Hartford is a tough place for a Republican to do business, and McGrath’s municipal experience should serve her well in the upcoming campaign.

David Blackwell - Former State Representative David Blackwell will be mounting a challenge to Sen. Mary Ann Handley in the 4th Senatorial District - Manchester, Glastonbury, Bolton, and Marlborough.  Sen. Handley has represented the 4th Senate for a decade, and was a veritable institution in Manchester municipal politics before jumping to the Senate.  But local Republicans have tasted success in recent years - Bolton narrowly elected Bruno Simonetti to be First Selectman in 2007, Glastonbury Republicans continued to do well, and the Manchester Republicans took the majority on the Board of Director for the first time in 18 years.  Blackwell represented the 12th House District in Manchester for four years (1998-2002) and did not run for re-election in ‘02.  He has remained highly visible in Town, and will run laps around Handley this fall.

Mike McLachlan - Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton’s Chief of Staff, Mike McLachlan, is running to fill Sen. David Cappiello’s 24th Senate District seat.  He has already qualified for the Citizens’ Election Program - meaning that he has raised $15,000 from at least 300 donors, which qualifies him for $85k in state funding.  He has already shown himself to have a well-organized campaign with a wealth of support.  A member of the Republican State Central Committee and all-around nice guy, McLachlan seems likely to keep the 24th seat in Republican control.

NOTE: Mentioning these candidates is in no way an endorsement of any candidate for any office.  In the event of a primary, CTGOP is bound to remain neutral and will do so.

The Senate Republican Caucus is taking up the new tools of the media to distribute their message and communicate more proficiently with their constituents.  They’ve updated their website, created a new blog authored by Republican Senators, and generating a YouTube Channel.