Middletown, Meriden Mayors: Suzio Playing 'Dirty Tricks' With Polling

In a scathing press release Tuesday, the mayors of both Middletown and Meriden blasted State Sen. Len Suzio on claims that the candidate is behind a series of inaccurate polling efforts set out to deceive voters.

Meriden City Councilwoman Dante Bartolomeo is challenging Suzio, the Republican incumbent, this election season in the race for the 13th Senate seat — a district that encompasses all of Meriden, Cheshire and Middlefield as well as a large segment of Middletown.

Middletown Mayor Dan Drew and Meriden Mayor Michael Rohde convened for a press conference where the two city leaders denounced telephone “push polls” that voters have been receiving as of late.

Push polls are when false calls made by supposed pollsters who masquerade as conducting an unbiased survey, but actually begin to spread false information about the candidates, the Bartolomeo campaign said.

“False attacks like these are why people are frustrated with politics,” said Bartolomeo. “I’m running for the State Senate to help Connecticut small business create jobs and get people back to work. That needs to be our first priority and that’s what I’ll do when elected to the Senate.

Some of the false information alleged in the push polls included allegations that Bartoloemeo would hav voted for a massive tax increase, would have rubber stamped all of Gov. Dannel Malloy’s proposals and that she supports high gas prices.

“The use of push polls is despicable,” Mayor Rohde said.  “Len’s record isn’t good enough to run on so he is inventing one to attack his opponent.  It’s sad.  The people of the 13th District deserve the truth and the truth is they don’t need someone representing them who is so willing to peddle lies.”

The Record Journal newspaper, which covered the press conference outside City Hall in Meriden, reported that Suzio showed up at the press conference where he proceeded to denounce the claims that he was behind the push poll falsities.

“I can say, categorically, my campaign has nothing to do whatsoever with any kind of push poll whatsoever, nor would I condone any kind of such an activity,” Suzio told the newspaper.

The Record Journal posted a video of the event.

Here are some of the claims that have come out in the push polls about Bartolomeo, with reactions from her campaign on how they aren't true.

• Bartolomeo - despite not serving in the Legislature - would have voted for a massive tax increase;
• Bartolomeo who would have “rubber stamped” all of Governor Malloy’s proposals (she would not have);
• Bartolomeo supports high gas prices (she doesn’t);
• Bartolomeo supports the early release of felons (she has called for the suspension of the early release program and has presented a proposal to disqualify violent criminals from taking part in said program); and
• Bartolomeo is against the death penalty (she is in favor of it).