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Joseph Bongiorno (Connecticut)
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Joseph Bongiorno (Independent Party) ran for election to the Connecticut State Senate to represent District 30. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.
Bongiorno completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2020
See also: Connecticut State Senate elections, 2020
General election
General election for Connecticut State Senate District 30
Incumbent Craig Miner defeated David Gronbach and Joseph Bongiorno in the general election for Connecticut State Senate District 30 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Craig Miner (R) | 53.4 | 28,719 | |
| David Gronbach (D / Working Families Party) | 44.9 | 24,141 | ||
 | Joseph Bongiorno (Independent Party)  | 1.7 | 937 | |
| Total votes: 53,797 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
The Democratic primary election was canceled. David Gronbach advanced from the Democratic primary for Connecticut State Senate District 30.
Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Craig Miner advanced from the Republican primary for Connecticut State Senate District 30.
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Joseph Bongiorno completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bongiorno's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am a Connecticut resident in the Town of Brookfield. I am a university history professor and lawyer. Among other institutions of higher education, I am a University of Connecticut graduate, having received my PhD and LLM degrees. Within the American historical political tradition, my candidacy identifies to the ideals of President Theodore Roosevelt expressed in two of his major speeches which defined his "New Nationalism" (1910) and "Confession of Faith" (1912). These pronouncements would embody his own independent candidacy for the American Presidency in 1912. A pro-life/family candidate, I believe in the importance of social solidarity as a governing model which provides for a secure social and public safety foundation that has already been successfully adopted in other nation-states. Social solidarity therefore requires fiscal reform and re-prioritization, along with political change that would mandate a multiparty political system that would no longer require a predominance by two political factions. Social solidarity also integrates the ideas of sustainable development in terms of the natural environment and quality of life for all our Connecticut residents. Therefore, the responsibility of any candidate to understand the "moral" dimension of all relevant questions demands the future prevention of special interests and predominant political groups permeating our commonwealth and its human institutions.
- Vote for a real Independent Candidate - one not formally affiliated with the other predominant political parties and create a multiparty political system in Connecticut. The ideal multiparty system would allow our Connecticut residents to expand their political horizons and introduce new concepts and ideas to general governance. With a multiparty system, Connecticut residents would no longer be limited to a "third-party" political dimension or general debates conducted by only two representatives of predominant political groupings.
- Elect an Independent Candidate who does not ask for individual donations nor accepts funds directly or indirectly from major special interest groups. Responsible political candidacy goes beyond the number of bigger sized and numbered lawn signs or how much money can be spent with available funds, whether donated by the public or private sectors. Ideally, political candidacy must promote the interest of general debate and the continued search for needed public policies and legislation. As a political office holder, the incumbent must strive for every opportunity to promote public intervention in the public policy process and not wait to the end of the constitutionally mandated term to seek votes to confirm the electorate's approval.
- Elect an Independent Candidate who promotes the ideals of Connecticut State Pride, Social Solidarity, Fairness, Public Security, Fiscal Responsibility and Sustainable Development. These concepts are easy to suggest but difficult to achieve. Office holders must carry out the public mandate to secure these ideals through careful, insightful consideration and study. Transparency is also crucial, giving Connecticut residents opportunity to fully to suggest alternatives and examine proposals through regular meetings with their legislative incumbents. Connecticut residents deserve to be informed both as taxpayers and as those being asked to vote for their legislative representatives.
1)Create a more humane, natural and enjoyable quality of life environment with sustainable development for Connecticut;
2) Advocate for the needs and security of teaching faculty and students at our Connecticut schools and colleges;
3) Advocate for educational assistance programs to end the "digital divide" in Connecticut;
4)Advocate the extension of railroad commuter service from Danbury and Waterbury; extend CT railroad service to Providence and Boston;
5)NO TOLLS on any of our Connecticut roads;
6) Create tax and needed unemployment benefits to assist Connecticut residents affected directly or indirectly by COVID-19 crisis;
7) Create better tax and assistance benefits for Connecticut families and people; end the "car" tax;
8)Advocate for the creation of a Connecticut universal health care network integrating the HUSKY Program and the University of Connecticut Health Center system; advocate a popular referendum for a state constitutional amendment to create such a health care system and associated regulations;
9)Greater regulation of all utility companies in terms of service and cost, including phased programs to eliminate all overhead wires and put them underground; and for reimbursement when these services fail the Connecticut customer; advocate for renewable energy sources;
My father and my late paternal grandfather. They instill(ed) within me values and ideals of which I can only hope to have kept and practiced successfully until this day and that I hope to impart upon my son as well.
The evolution of representative government has been a complicated one, beset with many ideologies and challenges that have threatened the success of the legislative process. In its almost four hundred year history, Connecticut has pioneered the cause of representative democracy in North America. The Fundamental Orders of 1639 was the first instance of a written constitution adopted by autonomous towns that provided for an elective democracy, albeit limited in scope and balanced with the tenets of Puritanism. With the successive Charters adopted in 1665, 1818 and 1965, Connecticut strove to perfect its models of democracy and political representation. Thus, the state legislator has always been the catalyst and center of that evolutionary development. The state legislator in the General Assembly has therefore inherited the necessary characteristics and responsibilities of being the people's advocate and representative. The legislator must first be just that, a servant to his constituents, serving at their pleasure. The legislator must be a colleague with fellow members within the General Assembly, whether Senate or House. As a colleague and representative, the legislator must therefore legislate those necessary bills and proposals to become law, a process demanding responsible discourse, listening to constituents and colleagues to make informed judgment. The state legislator must also be an educator, educating herself/himself with the issues concerned, completing the required research to gain knowledge. Simultaneously, the state legislator must educate her/his constituents, insuring that they understand the processes of government and the methodology of decision-making. The state legislator must also have the responsibility to be gracious to all to whom she/he may either agree or disagree, as well as to admit error. Finally, the state legislator should be thankful for the opportunity to serve but also be ready to depart in favor of a deserved successor.
The first historical event I remember as a young boy was watching the first manned American spacecraft landing on the Moon in 1969. The second events were President Richard Nixon's visits to the USSR and the People's Republic of China during 1971-72. I watched these events on my maternal grandparents' television.
My first job was with my father as his worker in his general contracting/construction business. I continued to help him after school, in the summer and on weekends until I left home to attend university.
This is an interesting question because it discerns the issue of the mandates of the Connecticut General Assembly and the specific functions of each chamber. The Connecticut State Senate has an important history since, in terms of the formation of the General Assembly as a legislature, the State Senate was in fact the core of the earliest legislature during colonial times up until 1818. The State Senate was a hybrid of various legislative, executive and judicial responsibilities under the Fundamental Orders of 1639. With the 1818 Constitution, the Senate evolved as a purely understood legislative- upper chamber, suggesting special responsibilities in relation to the executive branch. Unlike most other state upper chambers, its shares the power of consent with the lower chamber regarding Supreme Court appointments. The district system was entailed during the late 19th century and affected by the 1965 Constitution. However, the term "upper" can be a problematic one since the question of redundancy within a bicameral framework is inevitably raised. If one looks at the origins of the House of Representatives, it was comprised of those "committees" that directly represented the Connecticut towns. The Senate, unlike the Federal one, serves no unitary purpose thus questioning the premise of its function as an "upper" chamber. The United States Constitution was drafted in 1787 on models provided by the various independent States, including the bicameral process utilized in most of them. In Canada and in European states, for example, the Provinces and regions utilize mostly unicameral legislatures without the need for an "upper" chamber. For Connecticut therefore, this is significant because the question posed offers the opportunity to review the purpose of this chamber and to determine its continued use and mandate for the future with obvious legislative and financial consequences. The history of the chamber should therefore be carefully studied in this regard.
"Perspectives of a State Legislature" was a book was published in 1980 by Trinity College regarding the work of the Connecticut General Assembly. The publication was a collection of personal essays which discussed the responsibilities of various state legislators in different capacities and how they contributed to the creation of public policy. One common theme discussed the importance of cooperation to adopt laws for Connecticut's citizenry. As today, the General Assembly comprised a leadership of both Republicans and Democrats, each with their respective agendas and objectives for successful legislation. In his article regarding legislative factionalism, the late Governor William O'Neill cited the common adage, "politics is the art of compromise". For his part, the late Republican State Senator, Richard C. Bozzuto commented on the positive tradition of the two-party political system, one based on "accommodation", and agreement on "certain wide goals", but with a proviso that "the proper role of the minority party is to point out errors and deficiencies of the party in power". Both suggested in their separate articles that the two-party system would and can survive so long as both sides listened to and perhaps also learned from each other. This conclusion by both opposing lawmakers answers the question posed: that legislators must build relationships among and with each other in order to advance legislative proposals for Connecticut's welfare and future goals. Hence, proper discourse and the willingness to understand each other's positions are essential to those relationships to be maintained "across the aisle". Since Connecticut is not a parliamentary democracy, the role of the two-party system is therefore evermore incumbent upon state legislators to bear the higher standards of care and attention to provide for those necessities and meet the concerns and common good for all Connecticut residents, regardless of political views or affiliation.
When I arrived as a student at the University of Connecticut late summer 1983 to begin my studies, I visited the Town Clerk's Office in Mansfield, next to the Storrs campus. I noticed that the building was named after Audrey P. Beck, a former State Senator who represented the towns in northeastern Connecticut. She also served as a State Representative for Mansfield and served on several town committees and boards. As a state legislator, Audrey Beck was known for her tireless work, combining her educational background and knowledge with her growing political experience. Although many disagreed with her positions on various issues of the period ranging from the 1970s until the very early 1980s, no one could deny her willingness and determination to represent the interests of her constituency while following her conscious. A Democrat, she endeavored to conciliate and cooperate to build strong coalitions across Party lines in order to create legislative proposals that would answer to Connecticut's needs, on issues ranging from fiscal responsibility to environmental stewardship. For her time, Audrey Beck also carried the additional burden of proving herself because of gender, meaning that as a woman legislator, unlike her male counterparts, she had to "balance" the traditional roles of women during that period while simultaneously being regarded as politically effective. Beck's daily car rides between Mansfield and Hartford demonstrated the dichotomy of her life and personal struggles which ultimately contributed to the premature end to her life. Yet, her unique and selfless work as a state legislator was remembered and missed then, as the 1983 State Register and Manual attests. Although I would have disagreed with some of her positions, I would nonetheless see her as a model legislator who sought what was best for her particular constituency while not forgetting the interests of the State of Connecticut as a whole. I would hopefully do the same.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
Current members of the Connecticut State Senate
Leadership
Majority Leader:Bob Duff
Minority Leader:Stephen Harding
Senators
District 1
John Fonfara (D)
District 2
Douglas McCrory (D)
District 3
Saud Anwar (D)
District 4
MD Rahman (D)
District 5
Derek Slap (D)
District 6
Rick Lopes (D)
District 7
John Kissel (R)
District 8
Paul Honig (D)
District 9
Matthew Lesser (D)
District 10
Gary Winfield (D)
District 11
Martin Looney (D)
District 12
Christine Cohen (D)
District 13
Jan Hochadel (D)
District 14
James Maroney (D)
District 15
Joan Hartley (D)
District 16
Robert Sampson (R)
District 17
Jorge Cabrera (D)
District 18
Heather Somers (R)
District 19
Catherine Osten (D)
District 20
Martha Marx (D)
District 21
Jason Perillo (R)
District 22
District 23
Herron Gaston (D)
District 24
Julie Kushner (D)
District 25
Bob Duff (D)
District 26
Ceci Maher (D)
District 27
Patricia Miller (D)
District 28
Tony Hwang (R)
District 29
Mae Flexer (D)
District 30
Stephen Harding (R)
District 31
Henri Martin (R)
District 32
Eric Berthel (R)
District 33
Norm Needleman (D)
District 34
Paul Cicarella (R)
District 35
Jeff Gordon (R)
District 36
Ryan Fazio (R)
Democratic Party (25)
Republican Party (11)
