Another New Havener leaped into the state’s campaign season free-for-all Wednesday, as veteran State Rep. Cam Staples announced he’ll leave the legislature after 18 years to seek the Democratic nomination for attorney general.
Staples, who’s 51, has represented New Haven and Hamden’s 96th Assembly District since 1993. As co-chair of the finance committee, he holds one of the most powerful positions at the state Capitol.
He made the announcement in a phone call to the Independent shortly past 11 a.m. Wednesday.
In doing so, he targeted his criticisms at the putative frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, Susan Bysiewicz, whose nascent campaign has suddenly hit rough water. However, Staples’ bigger challenge may be upstaging another contender for the nomination, former state Democratic Party Chairman and gubernatorial candidate George Jepsen.
“I’d like to get the word out today that I’m running and I’m filing a candidate committee” within the next week, Staples said. He said won’t seek reelection as state representative at the end of his term.
“I’ve enjoyed the legislature immensely for 18 years,” he said, ” but I’ll enjoy the opportunity to step up as attorney general.”
He said as he spoke, he was on his way to Hartford to share the news with the Capitol press corps. He plans to make a formal announcement in New Haven in the “next few weeks.”
Beginning last week, Staples came out on the attack against Bysiewicz. He joined a chorus of voices questioning her eligibility to serve as AG. Critics question whether she has the 10 years of “active practice” in law, as required by state statute for the attorney general’s office.
Wednesday, Staples softened his attack, but focused his comments on Bysiewicz’s perceived areas of weakness: Her refusal to commit to the job for the full four years, her eligibility, and her decision not to seek public financing.
Staples is a partner at the Neubert, Pepe & Monteith law firm in downtown New Haven. He has a degree from UConn Law School and a B.A. from Wesleyan University. He has “actively practiced” law for the past 20 years. For the past five years, he has served as a federally appointed arbitrator for medical providers and their patients.
“That experience will be very helpful in the AG position,” he said.
“Credentials for this job and experience for this job make a difference,” he said, “and commitment for the job makes a difference.”
Staples said he does plan to seek public financing. He voted for the campaign finance reform at the Capitol. “I think it’s an important principle.”
If elected, Staples pledged to serve out the full four terms as attorney general. Bysiewicz is believed to be leaving the door open for a 2012 bid against U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman.
Political observers say Staples would have to continue in that aggressive vein if he aims to topple the popular Bysiewicz, who can easily use her position as secretary of the state to stay in the media spotlight.
That was the conventional wisdom as of last week, at least, until Bysiewicz stumbled. Staples’ bigger challenge might be distinguishing himself from George Jepsen, who announced his candidacy for the job the moment the current attorney general, Dick Blumenthal, announced he’s retiring from the position after 20 years in order to run for U.S. Senate.
Like Staples, Jepsen is an urban Democrat and a lawyer. Unlike Staples, who is best known among Capitol insiders, Jepsen has statewide name recognition. He ran for governor. He chaired the state party. He served as majority leader of the State Senate. He chaired Ned Lamont’s 2006 U.S. Senate campaign.
As a legislator, Staples has kept a low profile. He admitted he hasn’t had a tough campaign fight — “not for a while.”
“I did have a three-way primary when I ran for alderman” in 1987, he recalled. Before heading to the Capitol, he served three terms on New Haven’s Board of Aldermen, representing East Rock’s Ward 9. He lives on Edwards Street in East Rock.
“I’m not really running against, at this point, George or Susan,” Staples said. “I’m really running on my own record and my own credentials and my own issues.”
“I respect George. And I don’t intend to be critical for the sake of criticism.”
“I have enormous respect for Cam. And I like him a great deal,” Jepsen said in an interview Wednesday. “I don’t have any criticism of him personally. He and I have talked; he’s more than entitled to run.”
He predicted that “Cam will be strong in New Haven, and possibly in some of the surrounding towns. He’s not well-known broadly across the state in the way that Susan and I are.”
Jepsen said he, too, is seeking public financing for his campaign. He has filed an “exploratory committee,” as opposed to a candidate committee, the more official step that Staples took.
Bysiewicz plans to convert her campaign “soon” from an exploratory to a candidate committee, according to spokeswoman Tanya Meck.
“Susan welcomes Cam into the attorney general race,” Meck said.
Bysiewicz said those who have criticized her eligibility have not produced legal research to back up their claims. Bysiewicz submitted a request Wednesday to Attorney General Richard Blumenthal for a general clarification of what is meant by the 10 years of “active practice” required for the attorney general’s office. She made the request in her capacity as chief elections official, Meck said.
Musical Chairs
Staples’ announcement is the latest in a daily cascade of moves by veteran Connecticut politicians looking to advance after years of being stuck in place. The cascade began when popular incumbent Gov. M. Jodi Rell announced she won’t seek reelection. Then 30-year incumbent U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd announced he, too, won’t seek reelection. A flood of hopefuls announced for those two seats — as well as for other statewide offices that now opened up.
Cam Staples is the second New Havener to seek one of those slots. The other is Gerry Garcia, also of the East Rock neighborhood. He’s running for secretary of the state.
Staples’ candidacy now opens up his own position for the first time in 18 years. Among those believed to be considering a run for the slot is East Rock Alderman Roland Lemar and Mike D’Agostino of Hamden, who has served as treasurer of New Haven State Sen. Martin Looney’s campaigns.