Eastern CT's U.S. Rep. race hinges on jobs and the economy. Where do the candidates stand?

As election day gets closer, it’s time to get ready to vote.

Competing for votes to take the U.S. House seat in Connecticut’s second congressional district, are incumbent Democrat Joe Courtney, Republican and sitting state representative Mike France, Green Party candidate Kevin Blacker, and Libertarian Party candidate William Hall.

Hall said he is mainly in this election to preserve his party’s ballot access, though he has an interest in local and state politics. It’s also important to give third parties attention in the largely two-party system, he said.

Connecticut's second congressional district includes Andover, Ashford, Bolton, Bozrah, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Chaplin, Chester, Clinton, Colchester, Columbia, Coventry, Deep River, East Haddam, East Hampton, East Lyme, Eastford, Ellington, Enfield, Essex, Franklin, Glastonbury (part), Griswold, Groton, Haddam, Hampton, Hebron, Killingly, Killingworth, Lebanon, Ledyard, Lisbon, Lyme, Madison, Mansfield, Marlborough, Montville, New London, North Stonington, Norwich, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Plainfield, Pomfret, Preston, Putnam, Salem, Scotland, Somers, Sprague, Stafford, Sterling, Stonington, Suffield, Thompson, Tolland, Union, Vernon, Voluntown, Waterford, Westbrook, Willington, Windham and Woodstock.

Breaking down the debateThree candidates for Eastern CT's U.S. Rep. seat debated earlier this month. What did they say?

The deadline to register to vote is Nov. 1.

Here are the candidates' views on current issues for Eastern Connecticut.

What do you think is the biggest issue right now?

Blacker said the biggest issue is honesty and the truth. Like Hall, he said the two-party system is polarized. Blacker said neither party is “hitting the mark,” adding that he thinks they are both pushing slanted views and serving big corporations, instead of doing the best thing for the people.

“It’s good for Eversource, it’s good for General Dynamics,” he said. “It’s not so good for the average person or taxpayer.”

France said the biggest issues are inflation and public safety. An insecure border and police defunding are two issues he hears from his constituents. Democrats have painted police as an enemy and have forced them to be reactive rather than proactive, he said. As well, arrested individuals are finding their way back to the street with no-cash bail and prosecutors not doing their jobs, France said.

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“In the last six to eight months, we are seeing an increase in the reporting of gun crimes, where we never used to hear that,” he said.

Courtney said there are multiple big issues. That includes the economy, cost of living, job training, protecting social security and Medicare. For the latter issue, there are roughly 115,000 people in the district, out of 720,000 total, who depend on those resources.  A recent cost of living adjustment should help those people, Courtney said. However, adding ways for the Medicare formula to pay out less or increasing the retirement age is not the way to go, he said.

How do you feel the pandemic recovery is going? What should be different?

Blacker said inflation came from COVID-19 relief funding, as the government spent trillions of dollars. In turn, the inflation is hurting consumer wallets, and taking away the state’s increase in minimum wage, he said.

France also said the federal government’s spending is what’s wrong with pandemic recovery, saying it lacks a budgetary basis.

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Courtney said there have been positive job numbers, with 70,000 jobs added to the economy. He also said the jobs created by major employers like Electric Boat are “recession-proof,” since it’s contracted work.  This said, the cost of living is still a huge challenge, as the real estate market is still elevated. He stands by the Inflation Reduction Act, with prescription drug reform, taxes for large corporations, and cutting down on government borrowing.

What is your stance on the Roe v Wade overturn? Does it impact other issues, if at all?

Blacker said the overturn was not good, and brings other reproductive and social rights into question. The decision also hurts confidence in the government, causing uneasiness, he said.

France characterized abortion until birth as an extreme position. While he said abortion should be a state-level decision, he said a 12- to 15-week limit is the norm across the country and in Europe.

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Courtney said the federal decision “puts in doubt” Connecticut’s own Roe V. Wade Law from 1990, which carried a bipartisan majority back then. He is against the 15-week limit measure from Louisiana Sen. Lindsey Graham (R).  There is currently a measure in the Senate to codify abortion rights in the Women’s Health Protection Act, which hasn’t passed yet.

“If you don’t do that, there’s going to be a hodgepodge of laws from one state to another,” he said.

Courtney also said the change impacts medical privacy, and the legality of decisions by medical professionals.

How is the country’s foreign policy right now?

While Ukrainians fighting to keep their independence is a just cause, Blacker said he isn’t aware of the United States' “real motivation” in helping Ukraine and spending large sums of money on “questionable wars and conflicts” to begin with.

Weak foreign policy, including how U.S. forces left Afghanistan, lead to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, France said. Poor planning lead to redeployments that took the lives of 13 military personnel and left hundreds of Americans and thousands of friendly Afghanis behind, he said. France criticized Courtney for not calling out the Biden administration for how it was handled.

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France also said more submarines, not just better ones, are needed to keep up with the Chinese naval development, as the country has built a base on the contested Spratly Islands. He said the U.S. is eight submarines behind its target currently.

Courtney said there’s been shortchanging in sub building in the past, but he said he’s been steady with building two subs a year.

Courtney is also concerned about Republican plans to reduce Ukrainian aid for governmental and humanitarian matters. He said that aid, alongside the military aid, keeps that country safe. Counteracting the strain, he supported a $32 billion increase in the topline for defense spending, as “the cupboard is getting pretty bare.” This includes funds for more missiles, and a pay raise for military personnel making under $45,000.

As Electric Boat and other manufacturers are bringing more jobs to the region, how do you think the jobs picture is for Eastern CT?

Blacker said the whole of Connecticut is business unfriendly, and that environment translates to fewer high-paying jobs. Some of the critical business costs in the state include electricity, insurance, fuel and energy costs, he said. This said, Blacker believes that Southeastern Connecticut has untapped potential creating jobs in climate-change fighting industries.

Electric Boat is a major employer in the eastern part of the state, and it has lead to a substantial number of jobs, France said.

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Courtney said he’s been “laser-focused” on the shipbuilding industry in Eastern Connecticut since his first day in office. Having enough labor is needed for increased workloads. He also said the Norwich-New London job market has had the greatest growth of any in state with 2.6% growth.

UCONN is also a source of job growth in the region, by doing research for government agencies. Infrastructure projects, including the Gold Star Bridge and the Mystic River Railroad Bridge, will also create jobs. Overall, he said these jobs are “strong bones” for a good economy.

Where do you see the economy going? Why?

Blacker said the inflation, debt, and higher prices of important goods, like diesel fuel, point to the national economy being in a bad position, though Connecticut itself is in an okay position.

The economy is in a decline, and pricy diesel has lead to price interstate commerce, France said. Internal polices, including stopping the Keystone XL pipeline, sowed the seeds for rising energy prices. More drilling in the US is needed to improve the economy overall, France said.

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Courtney said he’s “bullish” on key investments. With brownfield remediation, the government is able to take a level of financial risk that private investment can’t. Other measures will increase investment in agriculture, from bio-digesters for dairy farmers to solar panels.

Considering Connecticut’s recreational cannabis legalization and burgeoning industry, how do you see it, and where will it go?

Blacker doesn’t have a problem with people smoking weed, though he said it dulls the mind and impacts people’s decision-making. He understands the social benefit of decriminalizing marijuana and using it for medicinal purposes.

Entrepreneurs are taking advantage of the state’s opportunity, though it still violates federal law, France said. While the government should look at the laws and cannabis’ Schedule 1 status, he doesn’t directly characterize Connecticut’s recreational cannabis industry as a federal issue, as a state law created it.

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Courtney said the state’s recreational cannabis efforts will be successful, citing Colorado as an example of success. He said the state is reducing exposure of cannabis to youths, through the drug-free community grant. Courtney also supports removing marijuana from its Schedule 1 status, and changing the law so legal cannabis businesses can bank with federal banks, stopping the federal government getting in the way of a state decision.

What is your stance on energy and the environment?

The country needs to find cheap, clean, and renewable sources of energy, and it shouldn’t be large-scale solar or offshore wind that destroys farms and forests, Blacker said. The country needs to look into radical methods, like making and harvesting lightning, or tasking nuclear companies to make energy from their current and dangerous waste products, he said.

France supports nuclear energy as clean energy, as opposed to the federal government favoring wind and solar power, which can have down times for access. He said the European Union declared nuclear energy and natural gas as green energy this summer.

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Courtney called the climate change portion of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act an opportunity to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, including tax credits for installing storage batteries and heat pumps, lowering energy costs. He also said offshore wind is a part of the country’s future, including those coming to New London.

If you win, what will you do in office, and what will be your signature legislation?

If Blacker wins, he’d sacrifice the life he knows in order to serve, including having someone else take care of his farm. In terms of legislation, he wants to focus on unconventional partnerships, including getting farmers to cooperate with cities for agricultural funding, and focusing housing in the cities to reduce sprawl, but also improve walkability and infrastructure.

If France wins, he wants to revive a disciplined budgetary process to help economic growth. France, who is also a veteran, wants to meet military funding needs, and to fix aging military infrastructure, naming the U.S. Navy’s Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility leeching into the water supply around Pearl Harbor as the most recent example of this need.

If Courtney wins another term, he said job training and education needs to be ramped up to fit state and local economy need, updating existing polices in the process. Courtney also plans on remaining chair of the House Armed Services Committee on Seapower and Projection Forces if Democrats maintain a majority, and as a key member of that entity if not.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Nov. 8 election: Blacker, France, Courtney, Hall for U.S. Rep. seat