Coals to Newcastle: Needleman and Ritter PAC make generous contributions to Nick Simmons.

Democrat Nick Simmons has raised a hefty $279,000 in his campaign to unseat Republican Ryan Fazio in the 36th Senate District. Fazio is relying on $124,000 in public funds and the $17,000 he raised in small contributions to qualify for the taxpayer money.

Simmons received a maximum individual contribution from state Senator Norm Needleman, the Essex Democrat who serves as the co-chair of the legislature’s Energy and Technology Committee. Fazio is the Senate’s ranking Republican on the committee that has been at the center of complicated issues that will continue to have a profound impact on Connecticut’s future. The committee’s work requires its leaders to possess more sophisticated knowledge than most other legislative committees.

Needleman and Fazio have appeared to enjoy a productive relationship. They worked together on a major piece of legislation in 2023. The state’s urgent energy needs will not be solved with partisan rancor–and the two have kept it out of the committee’s work in this fractious age.

It came as a surprise to see that $1,000 contribution from Neddleman to Simmons, who served as Governor Ned Lamont’s deputy chief of staff before launching his campaign in the spring. There are a few lines left in state politics that one does not cross for the sake of a wider good. Chairs and ranking members trying directly to oust one another from their seats in the legislature was one of them. No more.

Speaker of the House Matthew Ritter’s political action committee gave $1,500 to Simmons. House Democrats have not runout of candidates who could use a late boost, but Ritter has interests beyond the legislature. Greenwich, New Canaan and Stamford send a lot of delegates to Democratic state conventions. An early deposit in the Simmons favor bank may provide a bigger return than helping a couple of struggling Democrats who have been written off by caucus leaders. They too will likely be delegates one day–with their own tales to tell.

Published October 16, 2024