This is a fairly even-handed story in the Hartford Courant on the first cycle of Connecticut legislative races under the new Clean Elections public financing program. There are still some kinks to iron out in terms of explaining the program and recruiting candidates in uncontested districts, but for a brand new program it seems to be doing quite well.

Clean Elections is introducing a whole new style of campaigning in the state, and adjustment is going to take a little time -- but it'll be worth it.

The new law limits how legislative leaders, organized labor, business associations and other advocacy groups can directly assist candidates.


"It's a new kind of politics. That, in a lot of ways, understates it," said Andy Sauer, executive director of Connecticut Common Cause. "It's revolutionary. I think people are just beginning to comprehend it."

In the meantime, trickery that opponents of Clean Elections predicted has failed to materialize:

Critics predicted that lobbying firms, trying to maintain their influence in campaign season, would create campaign consulting subsidiaries.


One prominent lobbyist, Patrick Sullivan, briefly formed such a firm with former Democratic State Chairman John Droney and Erik Williams, a former Senate Democratic aide. It disbanded.


"People have expressed some reservations about working with a political consulting firm that had lobbyists associated with it," Williams said. "The negative mail pieces practically write themselves."