Candidates get ready for Election Day

Note: Check the end of the story later for more additions.

Preparing for a Halloween Sunday afternoon, city Republican Party leader T.J. Barnes wore a Batman costume at GOP headquarters as officials worked on logistics for Election Day.

But Republicans don’t think they need superheroes to win this year.

“I feel very good about our chances,” Barnes said.

Democrats, though, have a different take as Election Day draws near.

“We’re in good shape,” said Elliott Nelson, the city’s Democratic leader. “I think we’re going to get all our seats back.”

Nelson said the GOP managed this year to “put up some viable candidates” and to make some races tight, but his counterparts on the Republican side are still going to come up short Tuesday.

Voters will get the final say Tuesday. Those casting ballots in Bristol will help pick a new U.S. senator, a new governor, statewide officers, a congressman, a state senator, state House members, a registrar and a probate judge.

They’ll also have six proposed charter changes to consider, including a controversial measure to double to the time between municipal elections by giving the city’s elected officials four year terms instead of two.

Perhaps the hottest race in town has been the 31^st District state Senate showdown between newcomer Jason Welch, a Republican lawyer, and 18-year incumbent state Sen. Tom Colapietro, a Democrat,

Colapietro sat in Democratic headquarters Sunday afternoon with a long list of voters in front of him, calling them one by one.

With one, he started to give a prepared comment after introducing himself as the city’s state senator, when he stopped, listened, and told the person on the other end of the line that he really was Colapietro and that, no, this was not a robo call.

He said he doesn’t have “a pretty face” or vans festooned with political signs – as Welch does – but he has a solid record that he hopes voters will remember. He said he’s an ordinary guy who’s willing to say what he thinks and do what he says.

But Republicans believe they can send him packing.

Welch has focused on an agenda that includes reducing government spending, lowering taxes, improving schools and easing burdensome regulations on businesses. His goal, he said, is to spur job creation.

He argued that Colapietro’s stances hinder job creation and have helped keep the economy stalled.

 What is certain is that snatching Colapietro’s seat would be a political coup for the perennial runners-up.

Colapietro said he knows there is “a lot of anger” in the electorate about what’s happened to the economy. He said he hopes people will remember that Wall Street, not the Democrats, caused the economy’s collapse.

Among the state House races, Republicans have high hopes of winning the 78^th District, where Democrat Rich Covello of Plymouth and the GOP’s Whit Betts of Bristol are vying for the right to succeed state Rep. Bill Hamzy, a Plymouth Republican who’s stepping down.

The Republicans would also dearly love to knock off first-term state Rep. Chris Wright, a Democrat in northeastern Bristol’s 77^thDistrict. The GOP standard bearer in the district, Jill Fitzgerald, has run a vigorous contest that amounts to a rematch of the 2008 race when Wright beat her.

In the 79^th District, two-term Democrat Frank Nicastro, a former mayor, faces Republican newcomer Pete Del Mastro.

In the 22^nd District, which includes a sliver of Forestville but is mostly in Plainville, state Rep. Betty Boukus, a Democrat, is squaring off against Republican Helen Bergenty, who also lives in Plainville.

Everyone already knows who will win the registrar and probate judge races because the candidates face no opposition.

For probate judge of a newly expanded district, Democrat Andre Dorval is a shoo-in while the city’s registrars will be Republican Sharon Krawiecki and Democrat Mary Rydingsward. Rydingsward defeated Nelson in an August primary to claim the party’s ballot slot.

 In the 1^st District congressional contest, Democratic U.S. Rep. John Larson has three challengers: Republican Ann Brickley, the Green Party’s Ken Krayeske and Chris Hutchinson of the Socialist Action Party.

The polls are open Tuesday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Republicans plan a victory party at Nuchies in Forestville while the Democrats plan to celebrate at the Polish Club on North Main Street.

1st District Congressional race:

You can watch videos of all four debates here --

West Hartford Town Hall (Oct 18)

Jumoke Academy, Hartford (Oct. 25)

Hartford Public Library (Oct. 25)

Ann Antolini School, New Hartford (Oct. 26, in 4 parts)

(Thanks for the links, Ken Krayeske)

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com