Wow. We've been talking about this for months and knew that participation in Connecticut's first round of Clean Elections would be high, but seeing the final numbers come out doesn't make it any less impressive. The state just awarded the final grants to candidates participating in the public financing program for legislative seats. In its first cycle, 236 candidates have qualified to receive public funds to run their campaigns. This seventy five percent participation rate more than doubles the first use of such a system in any other state. In the House, 74 percent of candidates are using the system and 84 percent of those vying for the Senate are participating.  Democrats, Republicans, and Independents are all using the system. In an election cycle with countless money-in-politics scandals and record breaking fundraising, this is definitely a breath of fresh air.