Full Slates for Fall Legislative Elections

Races for Greenwich's delegation in Hartford will be just that — a race.

For the first time in recent memory, residents will have a choice in the November election as the will field four candidates to challenge the dominating . DTC Chair Frank Farricker said Tuesday, "The really important thing is that for the first time we are running candidates for every position and I think that redistricting has leveled the playing field and that will be a good thing for us."

And Farricker ruled out any run for himself. Earlier this year, he said he was considering a run for the 150th District House seat held by Republican Lile Gibbons who is retiring. "I am in the middle of buying a new business, another real estate company," Farricker said. "I can’t run the campaign. It breaks my heart—I would’ve enjoyed running. I wouldn’t want to do it half-baked."

Farricker said he has left it to the candidates to decide when to make their announcements and would not identify them.

Earlier Tuesday challenging six-term incumbent state Rep. Livvy Floren (R-149) to represent part of Greenwich and the northern and western sections of Stamford. His announcement comes six months after his resounding loss to unseat Republican Greenwich First Selectman Peter Tesei. Tesei won by a nearly 3 to 1 margin of the more than 12,300 votes cast.

Farricker said of Blankley's candidacy that's be formalized when the Greenwich and Stamford Democratic Town committees hold their nominating convention May 22 at , "John has a real strong grasp of the issues that are very important to the people who live in Greenwich. He’s respected for having ideas, he’s respected for having solutions."

When asked about campaign issues the 64-year-old Blankley said, "It is way too early to start thinking strategy. We have not even had our convention, I need to be nominated and approved by the party." He has not named a campaign manager.

Floren said she welcomes a challenge, in what will be only the third time since she was first elected in 2000. "I think that the democratic process always wants to have a debate and in order to have a debate you need two people," said Floren, 69, whose nominating convention will be held at Greenwich Town Hall at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The debate of issues should focus on "the economy, increasing jobs, making it easier to do business in Connecticut and the protection of open space and the environment," Floren said.

Floren's campaign manager is Steve Warzoha, who's managed her last two campaigns as well as those of Tesei, who is co-chairing Floren's reelection campaign with Stamford Mayor Mike Pavia.

36th Senate District

Incumbent Republican state Sen. Scott Frantz was nominated May 14 to run for a third term representing Greenwich and parts of New Canaan and Stamford. The Riverside resident will face a challenge from Stamford resident Daniel Dauplaise who works in Greenwich, according to Farricker. Dauplaise, who is executive vice president and chief of Stamford operations for the Fairfield County Young Democrats, and a member of the Stamford Democratic Town Committee, will be nominated next week.

150th House District

Former chairman of the Greenwich Board of Estimate and Taxation, Steve Walko, is the only Republican to announce seeking the nomination to fill the seat being vacated by Gibbons. The district encompasses Greenwich's shoreline south of Route 1, from the Port Chester to Stamford borders.

Political insiders are speculating that Greenwich Town Committee member William Gaston will seek his party's nomination. A message seeking comment was not returned.

151st House District

And those insiders say that Old Greenwich resident David Rafferty will challenge incumbent Republican Rep. Fred Camillo.

Rafferty downplayed speculation Tuesday. "I'm not confirming I'm running. It's possible but I want to talk to my family, people in the community and see where I go from there. At the moment, it's a rumor," said Rafferty who is president of the Old Greenwich Association and vice president of the Eastern Middle School PTA.

Rafferty added, "I believe in public service. I believe there is a lot that can be done working within the system rather than sometimes snapping around at the peripheries and that is what I want to look at, that is what I am considering, what do I have to offer to people?"

Camillo is seeking his third term.

The DTC will hold nominating caucuses for the house seats on May 24 at Town Hall.

Both Walko's and Camillo's nominating caucuses will be held May 23 in Town Hall.