Potter approved for Citizens' Election Program grant

Justin Potter will get a $124,100 grant from the state after collecting $17,300 in small contributions for his campaign for a state Senate seat in the largest geographic district in Connecticut.

Potter, a Kent resident who grew up in nearby Washington, was nominated May 14 in Kent as the Democratic candidate in the 30th state Senate District, which stretches from points in Brookfield just north of the Danbury Fair Mall to Salisbury, which not only has the lowest tax mill rate in the state but sits just south of the Massachusetts Berkshires.

Potter, the president of Kent Affordable Housing, will face Republican state Senate Leader Stephen Harding of Brookfield in the November 5 election.

No Democrat has prevailed since 1978 when Litchfield attorney Joseph Ruggeiro was elected. He served for one term.

In 2022 when it was an open seat with Harding competing against Eva Bermudez Zimmerman of New Milford, a former candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, it was cited by CT News Junkie columnist Susan Bigelow as one of the state Senate races to watch. Harding, a former state representative, garnered 53.8 percent of the votes through the 18 municipalities.

In a news release, Potter stated, “Connecticut is a leader in many areas, and campaign finance reform is one of them. I’m proud to participate in this public campaign finance system, which helps limit the influence of special interests, and allows candidates such as myself to focus on talking with voters rather than fundraising.”

The Citizens' Election Program (CEP) was approved by the General Assembly and signed into law by former Gov. M. Jodi Rell of Brookfield in 2005. It took effect in the 2008 election cycle.

It was only the third such program to be established in the country. The other two - in Maine and Arizona - were the result of voter initiatives. Connecticut's program was instead developed by elected officials.

To qualify, Potter collected at least 300 donations of $320 or less from residents of the district. He praised his campaign organization - in particular, his treasurer, Emily Smith - for reaching the threshold by mid-April.

Harding, who was nominated May 14 at the Republican Convention in Morris, also has qualified for a CEP grant.

At his kick-off event in New Milford on February 1, Patch.com reported that Harding said of the CEP, “I support the program. I think it has helped keep the special interests at bay,” regarding the potential influence of lobbyists.

“It has leveled the playing field,” said Harding, noting that challengers can also qualify for a grant and not face a campaign where the incumbent has a huge advantage in “cash on hand,” which reportedly are the three most cherished word in the political fund-raising vocabulary.