Talking To Voters On The Campaign Trail At 6 a.m. in Simsbury and at 7 a.m. in Farmington

The Hartford Courant’s Wes Duplantier was out at several polling places in Simsbury and Farmington on Primary Day and filed the following report:

Simsbury CT
Bob Lange, of Simsbury, was one of the first voters at the Tariffville School in the town’s northeastern corner, and he sat waiting in his dark blue sedan in the school parking lot for the polls to open. He was in a hurry because he was on his way to work in Westbrook as a quality engineer. A Democrat, he backed Chris Murphy for U.S. Senate and Elizabeth Esty in the 5th Congressional District.

He said he backed Esty because of the multiple newspaper endorsements she received. “For my mind, she’s the best candidate,” he said.

A man who goes by the name of Palin Smith got up at 3 a.m. Tuesday to drive to Simsbury. An avid Tea Partier and Mark Greenberg supporter, the 64-year-old was waiting at the polls at the Tariffville School in Simsbury for Lisa Wilson-Foley to arrive at least 10 minutes before the polls opened. The retired commercial fisherman had a camera around his neck and a handicam in his hand.

He filmed Wilson-Foley as she came in a few minutes after 6 a.m. and as she passed him, he said to her: “Shame on you! Shame on you!”

She walked past him silently, her face set.  He said in an interview that “I abhor the reckless, dastardly, despicable ads that Lisa Wilson-Foley posted over the weekend and yesterday. I want to stick it in her eye when she comes to vote.”

He added quickly that he meant that comment figuratively.

As the first voters were arriving in Tariffville, the sun was rising, peaking out from between the trees behind the school’s playground. It was cool and bright, a beautiful day.

Andrew Fowler, the 23-year-old nephew of Republican candidate Andrew Roraback, is a native of Michigan but has been staying in Roraback’s hometown of Goshen.

A campaign volunteer, he came to the Tariffville School with a cup of coffee and a large Roraback sign, and he plans to stand in front of the polling place all day to campaign for his uncle. He got up at 4:45 a.m. to drive out from Goshen and has been working in Connecticut for Roraback’s campaign for two months. 

“He’s done so much for me, so I can do this for him,” Fowler said. “I do believe in his cause and his continued support of Connecticut. I  think he’s outright the best candidate.”

At 6:30 a.m., Fowler was the only signholder out at Tariffville, where there were few campaign signs and even fewer voters.

Farmington CT

Phil Dunn, of Farmington, is an attorney in Hartford and a member of the Farmington Republican Town Committee. He also serves as chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission. He was holding a Roraback sign outside the polls at Irving Robbins Junior High School for just a few minutes before he had to leave for work.

“To the extent that it makes a difference, it’s worth it,” he said. “It’s all about that one last vote.”

He noted how small turnout might be. But at Farmington at 7 a.m., there was a steady stream of voters in and out with many rushing to cast a ballot before work. The grass all around the school’s entrance was covered in signs for various Fifth District candidates, but there were very few U.S. Senate signs there – and no McMahon signs until a lone volunteer showed up to plant a few around 7:30 a.m. before she left.

Bob Althen, of Farmington, is a retired state worker for who voted for Murphy and political newcomer Dan Roberti of Kent.

He said of the races generally: “All I’m hearing from candidates is negative things about the other candidates, and no one’s really saying anything about themselves or the issues.”

Althen said he didn’t know much about Roberti: “I don’t know a lot about the candidates I voted for, but I just don’t like the other people I didn’t.” He said he feels local elections are more enjoyable because of less rhetoric.
 
Bill Lynch, a retired middle school teacher from Farmington, backed McMahon and Wilson-Foley. He said of Wilson-Foley: “She and her husband have done so much for this state. I’d like to see her get in.” He said Wilson-Foley went to Farmington High School like his children. He said of McMahon: “She’s self-made, conservative, and I like her program about saving taxes for the middle class.”
 
Lisa Peake, a Farmington resident who works at the mall in Farmington, backed Murphy in the Senate race.

She said of voting on Tuesday: “It’s my right and my great honor to vote. I can’t complain if I don’t come out.”  

Of the campaigns generally, she said, “It was a little much with the telephone calls, and the mailers and I almost didn’t come out.”