The Connecticut Citizens Defense League is a non-partisan, grassroots organization devoted to advocating rights affirmed by the Constitutions of the United States of America and the State of Connecticut.
For the upcoming 2016 election, the CCDL Executive Committee has considered the past voting record and views that each candidate holds with respect to our constitutional rights.
This year, our job of vetting candidates has come with some regret. Some legislators we endorsed in the past have voted for a gun control bill (HB5054) this past session. Interestingly enough, some legislators who voted for gun control in 2013 reversed course and did not support gun control efforts this year. While we applaud this turn around, at this time we simply cannot endorse candidates who supported SB1160 in 2013.
One important point: This year, more legislators from both parties voted for anti-gun bills, than voted for them during the emotionally charged 2013 session. This trend should concern all gun owners, and be a cause for them to actively support the following candidates:
CCDL Endorsed Candidate List updated 11/4/16
CT House:
District Candidate Name Towns Represented
8 Timothy J. ‘Tim’ Ackert – Columbia, Coventry, Tolland, Vernon
9 Richard Lion – East Hartford, Manchester
13 Mark Tweedie – Glastonbury, Manchester
23 Devin R Carney – Lyme, Old Lyme, Saybrook, Westbrook
24 Jim Sanders – New Britain, Newington
30 Chris Morelli – Berlin, Southington
33 Linda J Szynkowicz – Middletown
34 Melissa H. Ziobron – Colchester, East Haddam, East Hampton
35 Jesse D MacLachlan – Clinton, Killingworth, Westbrook
36 Bob Siegrist – Chester, Deep River, Essex, Haddam
37 Holly H Cheeseman – East Lyme, Salem
38 Lauren Shaw – Montville, Waterford
39 Andrew Lockwood – New London
40 John F Scott – Groton, Ledyard
41 Aundre P Bumgardner – Groton, New London
42 Mike France – Ledyard, Montville, Preston
44 Anne Dauphinais – Killingly, Plainfield
45 Kevin Skulczyck – Griswold, Lisbon, Plainfield, Sterling, Voluntown
45 Tracey Hanson – Griswold, Lisbon, Plainfield, Sterling, Voluntown
47 Doug Dubitsky – Norwich, Sprague, Franklin, Lebanon, Lisbon, Hampton, Chaplin, Canterbury, Scotland
48 Evan A. Evans – Colchester, Lebanon, Mansfield, Windham
49 Tony Fantoli – Windham
50 Pat Boyd – Brooklyn, Eastford, Pomfret, Union, Woodstock
52 Kurt Vail – Somers, Stafford
53 Sam Belsito – Ashford, Tolland, Willington
57 Christopher C Davis – East Windsor, Ellington
61 Tami Zawistowski – Suffield, East Granby, Windsor
62 Bill Simanski – Barkhamsted, East Granby, Granby, New Hartford
63 Jay M. Case – Colebrook, Goshen, Torrington, Winchester
64 Brian Ohler – Canaan, Cornwall, Goshen, Kent, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon,Torrington
66 David T Wilson – Bethlehem, Litchfield, Morris, Warren, Woodbury
68 Eric C. Berthel – Oakville, Watertown, Woodbury
70 Rosa Rebimbas – Naugatuck
73 Steve Giacomi – Waterbury
76 John E Piscopo – Burlington, Harwinton, Litchfield, Thomaston
77 Cara C Pavalock – Bristol
78 Whit Betts – Bristol, Plymouth, Terryville
80 Robert C. ‘Rob’ Sampson – Wolcott, Southington
83 Joseph Vollano – Berlin, Meriden
85 Serge G Mihaly – Wallingford
86 Vincent Candelora – Durham, Guilford, North Branford, Wallingford
88 Marjorie Bonadies – Hamden
89 Lezlye Zupkus – Bethany, Cheshire, Prospect
90 Craig Fishbein – Cheshire, Wallingford
99 Steve Tracey – East Haven
102 Chris Kelly – Branford
103 Andy Falvey – Cheshire, Southington, Wallingford
104 Joseph Jaumann – Ansonia, Derby
112 J.P. Sredzinski – Monroe, Newtown
113 Jason Perillo – Shelton
118 Rick Varrone – Milford
119 Pam Staneski – Orange, Milford
122 Ben McGorty – Shelton, Stratford, Trumbull
126 Anthony Pizighelli – Bridgeport
131 David K. Labriola – Naugatuck, Oxford, Southbury
CT Senate:
District Candidate Name Towns Represented
2 Theresa Tillett – Hartford, Bloomfield, Windsor
6 Charles Paonessa – Berlin, Farmington, New Britain
7 John A. Kissel – East Granby, Enfield, Granby, Somers, Suffield, Windsor, Windsor Locks
8 Kevin D Witkos – Avon, Barkhamsted, Canton, Colebrook, Granby, Hartland, Harwinton, New Hartford, Norfolk, Simsbury, Torrington
13 Len Suzio – Cheshire, Meriden, Middletown, Middlefield
14 Pat Libero – Milford, Orange, West Haven, Woodbridge
16 Joe Markley – Cheshire, Prospect, Southington, Wolcott, Waterbury
18 Heather Somers – Griswold, Groton, North Stonington, Plainfield, Preston, Sterling, Stonington, Voluntown
19 Barbara Crouch – Columbia, Franklin, Hebron, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Marlborough, Montville, Norwich, Sprague
19 Catherine A. ‘Cathy’ Osten – Columbia, Franklin, Hebron, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Marlborough, Montville, Norwich, Sprague
20 Paul M Formica – Bozrah, East Lyme, Montville, New London, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Salem, Waterford
22 Elaine Hammers – Bridgeport, Monroe, Trumbull
29 John French – Brooklyn, Canterbury, Killingly, Mansfield, Putnam, Scotland, Thompson, Windham
30 Craig A Miner – Brookfield, Canaan, Cromwell, Goshen, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, New Milford, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, Torrington, Warren, Winchester
31 Henri R Martin – Bristol, Harwinton, Plainville, Plymouth, Thomaston
32 Robert J. ‘Rob’ Kane – Bethlehem, Bridgewater, Middlebury, Oxford, Seymour, Southbury, Roxbury, Washington, Watertown, Woodbury
33 Art Linares – Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, Essex, Haddam, Lyme, Old Saybrook, Portland, Westbrook
35 Tony Guglielmo – Ashford, Chaplin, Coventry, Eastford, Ellington, Hampton, Pomfret, Stafford, Tolland, Union, Vernon, Willington, Woodstock
US House:
District Candidate Name
1 Matthew Corey
2 Daria Novak
2 Dan Reale
3 Angel Cadena
5 Clay Cope
US Senate:
Candidate Name
Dan Carter
*CCDL reserves the right to add or remove candidates as they are vetted by the Executive Committee. This page may be updated to reflect that.
——————————————————————————————————11/4/2016 – Added:
CT House 48 Evan Evans
10/26/2016 – Added:
CT House 9 Richard Lion
CT House 112 J.P. Sredzinski
US House 2 Dan Reale
10/25/2016 – Added:
CT House 99 Steve Tracey
CT House 104 Joseph Jaumann
10/12/2016 – Added:
CT House 102 Chris Kelly
10/4/2016 – Added:
CT House 45 Tracey Hanson
CT House 126 Anthony Pizighelli
CT Senate 14 Pat Libero
8/28/2016 – Added:
CT House 39 Andrew Lockwood
CT House 50 Pat Boyd
CT House 66 David T Wilson
CT House 118 Rick Varrone
CT Senate 6 Charles Paonessa
CT Senate 22 Elaine Hammers
8/8/2016 – Added:
CT House 45 Kevin Skulczyck
CT House 83 Joseph Vollano
CT House 88 Marjorie Bonadies
8/8/2016 – Corrected:
CT House 63 Jay Case (corrected towns covered)
7/4/2016 – Added:
CT House 68 Eric Berthel
CT House 86 Vin Candelora
6/29/2016 – Added:
CT House 78 Whit Betts
US House 1 Matthew Corey