Donovan Announces Bid For U.S. Congress in Meriden

State House Speaker Chris Donovan (D-Meriden) formally announced that he will run for U.S. Congress in 2012 at his new headquarters in Meriden Friday night, surrounded by long-time local supporters and much of the state’s legislative leadership.

More than 350 people crowded into Donovan's campaign headquarters at 5 Colony St. for his announcement – the fourth in a week-long tour that wrapped up in New Britain on Saturday. The 18-year state Rep. has been registered to run for Chris Murphy's seat in the 5th District since May, but pushed back official announcements until the state's budget was finalized.

Donovan told the crowd that if elected, he would focus on families and fight to retain Medicare and Social Security.

"People ask you why you are running, and I think the most important thing is I look at Washington and I think about the work I have been doing my entire life - there's a real need for someone to be fighting for families in America," Donovan said.

Prior to being elected to the state House, Donovan was a community organizer in Meriden working on housing, environmental and energy issues, according to his legislative biography. He is currently an adjunct faculty member at the University of Hartford in the political science and sociology departments.

During his speech, Donovan ran through a list of measures the legislature had passed while he was in office that he deemed accomplishments, including passing stringent domestic violence laws, raising the minimum wage 12 times, passing the paid sick leave act, providing funding for autism services, enacting campaign public financing, and passing the Dream Act which allows undocumented immigrants to pay in-state tuition at Connecticut colleges.

Daniel Rovero (D-Killingly) was one of a number of state legislators at the event supporting Donovan – a list that included Senate President Donald Williams (D-Brooklyn), House Majority Leader Brendan Sharkey (D-Hamden), Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney (New Haven), and former state Rep.-now-Secretary of the State Denise Merrill.

"I'd like to see him go to Washington, even though I don't vote with him all the time," Rovero said. Rovero, considered a fiscally conservative Democrat, was one of a minority in the party to vote against Gov. Dannel Malloy's recent biennium budget, one which Donovan and other Democratic leadership worked hard to get passed. Rovero said Donovan disagreed with him, but was respectful about his ultimate choice to reject the budget.

Others at the event were local long-time supporters and volunteers for Donovan's campaigns for the state house.

"Chris Donovan's was the first campaign I ever (worked on)," said Meriden firefighter Greg Polanski, who first went door to door for Donovan in 1994 when he was treasurer of the Local 1148. "He came from strong union roots." Polanski continues to support Donovan saying, as did many others at the event, that, "He does what he says he's going to do. He really cares about Meriden."  

Donovan's vocal support of unions has earned him criticism from some, especially this summer when state unions a concessions agreement which would save the state $1.6 billion over 2 years. Though they finally passed the agreement, an anti-union sentiment lingers among some.

Prior to the vote, the Hartford Courant wrote a scathing editorial in early July that castigated Donovan for tabling a measure to freeze longevity bonuses for eligible state employees and eliminate them for new employees that was passed by the state senate.

"The speaker...appears clueless about the changing political weather and the fact that even Democrats, who normally support unions, are losing patience with unionized state employees," the editorial said.

When asked if his support for unions could harm him in his race for the U.S. Congress, Donovan said, "I'm for working people" and that the strides he's made that have benefited unions have helped all working people, including those not in unions, like raising the minimum wage.

Donovan joins a varied field of Democrats in the race to be the party's 2012 candidate, including former state of Cheshire, Dan Roberti, from Kent, and Mike Williams, a foreign policy analyst from Southington. The Republican slate thus far includes Mike Clark, a town council chair and former FBI agent from Farmington, Navy veteran of Farmington, and , a healthcare entrepreneur.

The next steps for each candidate include fundraising, garnering endorsements, and meeting possible constituents from around the 5th District.

Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney said his endorsement was based on Donovan's leadership ability.

"He's exactly the kind of candidate we need – an aggressive problem solver. That's what Chris is," Looney said. "He's always been recognized by his colleagues as a leader."

Donovan said that next he will be visiting the towns throughout the district, talking to residents and learning about them and what they need, which he said will help him both as a candidate and a legislator.