The Middletown Eye reports:
In a surprise upset, Democratic challenger Matt Lesser unseated Congressman Ray Kalinowski, winning 51% of the votes in the district. His victory was made possible only by virtue of an overwhelming 67% mandate in the Middletown districts, which compensated for losing margins in Middlefield and Durham.Overall, the results indicate that Dems swept Middletown. Check
Tonight, the League of Women Voters is hosting a debate in the Middletown Council Chambers at City Hall between the two candidates for Connecticut's 100th Assembly District, which includes parts of Middletown and the neighboring towns of Middlefield and Durham.
Democrat Matt Lesser, a rising leader in the progressive community and former Wesleyan student, squares off against incumbent Republican Ray Kalinowski, a traditional conservative and former secret service agent in the Nixon White House. The differences between Lesser, 25, and Kalinowski, 68, extend far beyond the age gap, including substantive disagreements on education, the environment, and major social issues.
Tonight's debate at 6:45 is a great opportunity to show your support and hear straight from the candidates what their visions are for the future of the 100th District.
What: Political Debates
Who: Local candidates Matt Lesser and Ray Kalinowski
Where: Council Chambers, Middletown City Hall, 245 deKoven Drive
When: 6:45pm
Want to get outside of the Wesleyan bubble a little bit? There are a couple of events you may want to check out:
Canvass for a local former-Wes-student Democrat!
Got Wesleyan pride? Have a couple of hours to spend making a difference locally before the election?Join Wesdems in canvassing around Middletown for Matt Lesser, a former Wes student who is running for democratic state representative!Matt is passionate about funding education, reforming Connecticut's highest-in-the-nation property tax system, expanding support for renewable energy, and protecting our open spaces and needs your help!Email Sophie Ackoff at sackoff@wes or Miriam Berger at maberger@wes if you are interested!
Theatre 4 is a new professional theater company based in New Haven, and this weekend, they're going to be putting up a new show right here in Middletown, over at Oddfellows Playhouse.Donate blood to the American Red Cross!
The play, "Anton in Show Business," is described as an "intelligent comedy for grownups, satirizing the trials and tribulations of producing a play. While taking a comical look at self-involved actors, egotistical directors, complacent audiences, over zealous critics, and fickle corporate sponsors, the play’s heart lies in the growing importance of the arts for their ability – if only for a moment in time – to create community and magic."
When: October 10-11 at 8 pm
Where: Oddfellows Playhouse (128 Wash St)
$$$: I think free? But Theatre 4 is a nonprofit and there is a $20 suggested donation
Reservations: Call 203.623.7560
The Wesleyan Blood Drive (this monday/tuesday at Beckham Hall) still needs people! See our prior post for more info. Sign up to give blood at www.giveblood.org - just put in 06459 as our zip code and look at what time slots are still open.
Matt Lesser, 25, who attended Wesleyan, is running for State Representative in the Middletown area. Matt is running on a progressive platform, which you can read about on his website www.mattlesser.com, against a far-right Republican incumbent. The district, which starts just down the road from Wesleyan, is the most Democratic district in Connecticut currently held by a Republican. Matt is going to win - but he needs your help.
Matt Lesser's biggest campaign event of the summer will occur this Saturday at 11am at 106 Jacobs Terrace, which is just off of High Street. Matt will be giving a speech alongside other local elected officials to kick off a day of door-to-door canvassing in Middletown.
If you're on campus, and you've been itching to get involved in something political, this is a great opportunity to spend just a couple hours and make a huge difference. This is the one best chance to get involved in Matt's campaign this summer.
Please drop me a line at saul at mattlesser.com or via Facebook if you want to get involved or have any questions. Or just swing by on Saturday - hope to see you there!
Who: Matt Lesser
What: Canvass for Change in Middletown
Where: 106 Jacobs Terrace, just off of High St
When: 11am, Saturday, July 26
Normally I find it difficult to connect local political happenings to Wesleyan, but when a prior Wesleyan student (and present member of the Wesleyan community) runs for State Representative, the connection is obvious. Matt Lesser received the Democratic Nomination for State Representative in Middlefield last night--a unanimous decision--and afterward told me a little bit about his campaign:
His campaign is being managed by a two fellow Wesleyan students, Mike Pernick '10 and Saul Carlin '09. I have posted a more detailed write-up of last night's convention at my vanity project, and Matt Lesser has more information about his candidacy at www.mattlesser.com. Prior Wesleying posts about Matt Lesser can be read here.
Updated [2008-05-22]: Changed to more accurately describe Matt's student status.
