Battle of the Titans: Johnson vs. Maloney

Battle of the Titans: Johnson vs. Maloney

By Michael M. Moskaluk, Bantam

Over the years, local, state and national elections come and go rather routinely. However, the campaign for the Congressional seat of the newly created 5th District in Connecticut is a "dogfight." A rare political situation with national implications has been created, due to mandated redistricting the state and elimination of the 6th District.

Sadly, Nancy Johnson, representing the 6th District for the past twenty years, is in danger of being voted out of office. There is no doubt about her popularity within the defunct 6th, but neither is there any doubt that she is a "lame duck" as a result of the mandated redistricting. The question is: can she lure enough senior citizens, Hispanics/ Latinos, African-Americans and unaffiliated voters from the Waterbury and Danbury metro areas away from the incumbent of the 5th District, Jim Maloney?

Personally, I doubt it. Nancy Johnson, die-hard loyalist voting the party line year after year, has alienated herself from the minorities by her refusal to visit and debate in Waterbury at the invitation of a state NAACP and Waterbury Latino Political Action Committee. Leaders of both groups referred to her refusal as nothing less than "a slap in the face for minorities within the 5th District." More than 120,000 of the 680,000 people within the new 5th District belong to the AARP—and, about 11% of that number are Hispanics and about 7-8% are Afro-Americans. I believe that if Nancy Johnson is beaten it will be because of her inconsideration to these two groups, alone.

Our Governor Rowland was unable to deliver Connecticut into the Bush column during the presidential election, and there is no guarantee that he will be able to deliver Waterbury to Nancy Johnson. Nancy Johnson has reason to be concerned even if she does have the favor of Heritage Village in Southbury and the "Squire Country" segment of northwest Litchfield County voters.

Unlike the previous three attempts by Charlotte Koskoff to unseat Nancy Johnson, Jim Maloney is a most formidable opponent. Jim Maloney is the incumbent Congressman of the 5th District and, unlike Ms. Koskoff, has not only state and national recognition, but international recognition as well. Indeed, Congressman Maloney is a most formidable opponent.

On a final note, controversial as it may be, no matter that Nancy Johnson has raised more than $4 million in campaign funds as opposed to approximately $2 million for Jim Maloney. I like the comment by Betsy Arnold, Maloney's spokeswoman: "We know how to do more with less, and that's experience money can't buy."

In my opinion, and I'll take the odds: Congressman Maloney will be the winner in a squeaker.