CT 2nd Congressional District 2020: Courtney Faces 3 Challengers

CONNECTICUT — Four candidates are vying to represent Connecticut's 2nd Congressional District The district covers a sizeable portion of the eastern part of the state.

The seat is currently occupied by Democrat Joe Courtney, who was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006. Courtney is also cross endorsed by the Working Families Party.

Joe Courtney

Courtney's earlier political experiences includes a four-term stint in the state House of Representatives where he represented Vernon. He lives in Vernon with his wife Audrey and two children Robert and Elizabeth, according to his campaign profile.

He was the only member of Connecticut’s House delegation to vote against the Troubled Assets Relief Program, which provided bailout funds to financial institutions during the Great Recession. He said the program was “ill-advised” and banks continued to foreclosure on borrowers, according to The Day.

Courtney serves on the House Armed Services Committee and has been an advocate for submarine building in Connecticut, which supports a large number of jobs in the congressional district. He has also pushed for funding for the military submarine base in New London. His colleagues in the House sometimes refer to him as "Two Sub Joe" due to his advocacy for submarine building.

Justin Anderson

Republican Justin Anderson is a retired corrections officer and East Haddam resident. He continues to serve in the National Guard and has been in the Connecticut Army National Guard for more than 30 years. He has been deployed four times since Sept. 11, including two combat tours in Afghanistan.

He was called back to active duty to work as a military liaison officer to help distribute personal protective equipment to towns, first responders, hospitals and local businesses.

Anderson resigned from his federal job in 2019 in order to campaign for the congressional race.

Anderson is currently an elected member of the East Haddam Planning and Zoning Commission.

He supports responsible gun ownership and said that current members of Congress know little about firearm safety.

Anderson said he opposes the Green New Deal proposal and instead believes smaller steps should be taken for renewable energy goals.

He believes in continued military funding and a strong military.

His wife Darlene is an active duty U.S. Army service member. They have five children.

Cassandra Martineau

Green Party Cassandra Martineau is a Willimantic resident and has been a group home caretaker for 30 years. She was previously elected to her local Zoning Board of Appeals and is a state leader for the Women’s March on Washington.

She supports the Green New Deal and Medicare for all proposals and additional funding for low-income schools.

Daniel Reale

Libertarian Party candidate Daniel Reale is also running for the 2nd Congressional District.