The Connecticut Working Families Party, together with the Connecticut Independent Party, are jointly running Cicero B. Booker for State Senate, 15th district. Connecticut permits fusion. Booker’s only opponent is the incumbent Democrat, Senator Joan Hartley. No Republican is running.
Booker is a former member of the State Parole Board, and currently an alderman in Waterbury. He was elected alderman on the Independent Party line. He is close to qualifying for full public funding. If he succeeds, he will receive approximately $100,000 in public funding.
Why would this be considered a WFP senator not an IP?
The IP is the real party.
Because the Working Families Party did most of the work of getting him almost-qualified for public funding. And it was a lot of work, getting a petition with 20% of the last vote cast in his district!
That is because he could not qualify using IP line due to the anti-third party finance law. The IP probably helped with petition. Unfortunately this will split the vote between two lines and though he may get close to 40% of the vote neither paty line will be eligible for full public funding next time. My prediction 19% IP line and 17% WFP line for a total of 36. Although I hope it is more like 26 and 25.