One town hall that was able to take place was the District 12 state senate race between three-term incumbent Christine Cohen and two-time challenger Paul Crisci, attracting a large and diverse crowd of voters, including Democrats, Republicans, independents, and many unaffiliated voters. The event took place at the Stony Creek Brewery and was moderated by popular talk show host Vinnie Penn. The Crisci campaign, as hosts, provided pizza and refreshments for the event. Each candidate was allotted three minutes to answer questions regarding state and district issues voters deemed “top of their list” concerns, such as affordability, utility costs, parental rights, the environment, and crime. Unlike traditional debates, this was intended to be more of a conversation about the issues, along with questions previously submitted online and from attending audience participants. Unfortunately, to the dismay of many, Senator Cohen was a “no-show,” leaving constituents and her opponent questioning why she would miss the opportunity to address voters with what she has deemed her accomplishments and visions for the future. When asked, challenger Paul Crisci stated, “It’s disappointing not just for myself but for the voters. Senator Cohen was contacted numerous times by my campaign to confirm her attendance, but we assumed her lack of response was due to her busy schedule.” Crisci continued, “Nevertheless, I will still answer questions from the audience, and if Senator Cohen arrives late, it would be my pleasure to have the moderator allot her the time necessary to address the attendees.”

Although the absence of Senator Cohen was noticeable, host Vinnie Penn of The Vinnie Penn Project morning show managed the candidate’s absence by redirecting attention to the attending candidate, Paul Crisci. After some brief introductions, Penn got right to it by asking questions on everything from crime to the affordability of utility bills and everyday necessities. However, it wasn’t until questions from voters online and in the audience were asked that voters were given the real opportunity to decide which candidate they should vote for. The first question was directly related to Candidate Crisci’s unique methods of marketing his campaign messages.

Samuel from Branford asked, “Recently, I received a call from a Democratic Party pollster asking for my thoughts on your newspaper ads, particularly since you own a marketing agency. There have been claims that you’ve been tricking people into reading your articles. Could you address the criticism you’ve been receiving and clarify the situation?”

It is not uncommon during election season for one party to outmaneuver the other with clever gamesmanship, but this election season, District 12 Senate candidate Paul Crisci has clearly struck a nerve with his opponent, Christine Cohen, and some Democratic officials. In recent weeks, local newspapers have displayed placed articles that Crisci’s camp states are fair and balanced, offering candid statements and responses to questions surrounding the issues for the 2024 election.

One Democratic town committee and some of its members took exception to the means by which Crisci used to share his message, stating that he used deceptive methods to encourage readers to engage with the article. Crisci responded to the criticism with a simple question: “How is sharing an interview article in a newspaper deceptive?” He continued defending his position, saying, “People share all kinds of information and articles on social media all day long. Why is it deceptive if I have an article placed in a newspaper so that a segment of voters who read newspapers can access it? Do they not believe voters are intelligent enough to make informed decisions, or are they simply looking to stifle the message of an opposing candidate?” Many of Crisci’s opponents and supporters of Christine Cohen took to social media, crying foul immediately after the distribution of the weekly newspaper that readers receive in their mail each Thursday.

One Democratic town committee posted on social media, “Voters Beware! Politicians can get sneaky when they’re not making headlines. Paul Crisci’s campaign for State Senate is a great example, with a full-page ad in the Sound News.” They continued to claim that the article was nothing more than a fancy commercial and punctuated their complaint by stating that Crisci spent a quarter of a million dollars in the last campaign, suggesting they should expect more of this in the coming weeks.

When asked to respond to the allegations, Crisci inquired, “So let me get this straight: the Democratic town committee is warning people that I placed an article in the newspaper so they can read it, and somehow that’s tricky? This same Democratic town committee is cautioning voters that I spent my hard-earned money to fund my last campaign instead of taking taxpayer money to finance my campaign. Very interesting,” Crisci added.

When asked why he found the comments from the Democratic town committee to be interesting, he simply said, “I just find it curious that our state is dealing with several pressing issues that affect our residents’ everyday lives, but instead of challenging me on the issues their focus is on a newspaper article.” Crisci refers to issues such as affordability in Connecticut as well as the alarming increase in crime throughout District 12. “All I have to say is I am trying hard to bring solutions to issues that continue to affect our communities. Respectfully, I don’t have the time for petty nonsense.” Crisci replied.

It wasn’t until Crisci shared the article on social media to offer voters the opportunity to learn more that other Democratic town committees from the district took their frustrations to Facebook. Crisci again defended his position by explaining, “I have invited Senator Christine Cohen to debate me so everyone can hear our positions on the issues, but to this point, she has ignored my request and, more importantly, the requests of many constituents in District 12.”

In many areas of Connecticut, concerns about crime have usually been a low-profile issue, especially in small rural towns with smaller populations. One area relatively immune to high-profile crimes is District 12, which includes rural towns like North Branford, Killingworth, Durham, and Middlefield, along with shoreline towns such as Branford, Guilford, Madison, and parts of East Haven. In recent years, most crimes in these areas have been limited to petty theft and occasional domestic disputes. However, concerns about crime in the state and District 12 have become more pronounced despite claims that crime statistics indicate a decline.

When asked if they felt crime was decreasing, a Guilford resident stated, “I have always felt safe in Guilford, and fortunately, I have not experienced crime myself, but I keep hearing about crimes in our area on police blotters and in the news, which makes me concerned that things have been changing.” Another Branford resident added, “I keep hearing crime is down, but I guess the car thieves haven’t gotten the memo because I’ve had my car broken into twice.”

Recent weeks have seen several atypical crimes in District 12. Most notably, last week, News 12 reported a federal raid in East Haven, resulting in what was termed the largest drug bust in the state’s history, involving over a hundred thousand counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl. Authorities also confiscated a pill press capable of producing one hundred thousand dangerous counterfeit pills per hour. These pills, disguised as popular medications, actually contained fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine—substances responsible for numerous overdoses and tragic deaths. U.S. Postal Inspection Service Officer Ketty Larco-Ward stated, “This operation disrupted a significant source of illicit pills destined for our neighborhood.” Investigators believe many of these counterfeit pills had already reached Connecticut streets.

Senate hopeful Crisci expressed his concerns, stating, “This is just one of many issues that the majority leadership in Hartford has put us in regarding crime.” He reminded everyone that this was a major reason he decided to run in 2022 and is runningagain in 2024. “I grew up in the Bronx, New York, during the seventies and eighties when crime was at an all-time high, and never once was I a victim of crime,” he noted. “Now, living in Branford, I have personally been a victim of two car break-ins, and my daughter’s home was robbed.” Crisci pointed out that similar reports have become common in his neighborhood over the past two years.

Crisci indicated that it was only a matter of time before criminals became bolder, citing that the acceptance of petty crimes often leads to more serious offenses like car theft and drug trafficking. “It’s becoming acceptable to overlook the signs of what will inevitably become larger issues. Criminals are opportunistic; if given an inch, they will take a foot until someone holds them accountable.” He highlighted an incident on September 20th when police responded to a robbery at Stop & Shop, where a thief driving a stolen Kia Sportage stole an elderly woman’s purse. “It’s only a purse snatching until something goes wrong. Are we really going to wait until someone dies?” he emphasized.

Crisci also referenced a shocking incident reported by the Branford Police blotter, where three suspects were arrested in connection with a violent assault and torture that occurred in Branford on September 1st. An unnamed victim suffered severe abuse, including being slashed, set on fire, and sexually assaulted. “Does anyone see a disturbing trend?” Crisci asked. “These aren’t just kids stealing candy; they are dangerous crimes that could happen to any of us. Yet my opponent, Senator Christine Cohen, is sending out campaign mail touting her special interest record. It is her job to support law enforcement by voting for legislation that holds criminals accountable, not tying the hands of our police.” He reminded, “Our towns do not have boundaries. Crime will continue to find its way into every town if we don’t do something about it.”

Connecticut Republicans have sounded the alarm, demanding explanations and solutions from Governor Lamont as constituents voice their frustrations. Senator Republican leader Harding (R) and House Minority Leader Vinny Candelora (R), among other GOP figures, have called for a special session to address the crisis. However, Democrats have largely remained quiet, with Senator Looney (D) accusing Republicans of attempting to score political points during this contentious election season. Looney stated, “They’re looking to take advantage, scapegoating Democrats for 2017, and now all of a sudden, they want to run away from it. Republicans are banking on the complexity to simplify and take political advantage.”

In the midst of this political back-and-forth, Senate hopeful Paul Crisci has stepped forward with both concerns and proposed solutions. A two-time candidate for the District 12 senate seat, Crisci remarked, “I can’t say I often agree with the views of Senator Looney, but I do agree that this is nothing new. Everyone involved knew this was an issue, and many chose to ignore it.” Crisci emphasized that two key questions demand answers: how Connecticut arrived at its current situation and who is responsible for the various pass-through fees inflating electric bills.

Crisci highlighted the fundamental issue at stake: the management of taxpayers’ dollars. “Electricity just happens to be the issue of the moment, but the core issue is how Majority leadership in Hartford is handling finances,” he stated. During his 2022 campaign, Crisci raised concerns about the state’s fiscal management, only to be dismissed as “clueless.” He insists that what the politicians label a “rainy day fund” is instead a redirection of ARPA funds, federal aid meant to help states during the pandemic.

“Connecticut received $2.8 billion in ARPA funds from the U.S. Treasury Department. Why were these funds not used to pay the moratorium fees Governor Lamont instituted during the COVID crisis?” Crisci questioned. He emphasized the controversial “Public Benefit Charge” listed on Eversource bills, urging scrutiny of how long the Democratic majority has been in power without addressing these concerns. Crisci expressed frustration over the electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure charges that appear on Eversource bills also as a “public benefit charge”. “Residents are being asked to pay for infrastructure that should be funded by the already high vehicle property taxes Connecticut residents pay,” he argued. “Considering more than 90% of residents have shown little or no interest in owning an electric vehicle, it seems unfair.”

Moreover, Crisci criticized Senator Cohen’s push for a 100% electric vehicle mandate by banninggas-powered vehicles no later than 2035, calling it a potential burden that could lead to even higher costs for taxpayers.