CEP (Citizens Election Program) filings can show voters how candidates handle public funds
By Dave Mullane
All Opinion pieces and Letters to the Editor reflect ONLY the thoughts of the writer, and not those of the Stratford Crier or its Editorial Board.
Republican Jason Perillo of Shelton has run for and won the seat in the 113th state house district 10 times since first being elected there in 2007 by special election.
The 113th was previously held by Republican Richard Belden of Shelton who won the seat 17 times starting in 1974 and he died while in office being the longest serving member of the Connecticut House of Representatives.
The 113th in Shelton is a Republican seat which Democrats can’t seem to crack even with CEP. In Belden’s 17 wins he had a Democrat opponent 15 times, Belden was only unopposed in 1990 and 1996. Belden never had CEP and cost of his campaigns were modest.
In Perillo’s 10 wins he had a Democrat opponent 6 times. Perillo has been unopposed 4 times. Just like Belden, Perillo has had easy wins, but Perillo has cost the state more in CEP funding that was really unnecessary and silly coming from a guy who talks about wasteful spending and making his district affordable. Perillo really likes that easy CEP cash, and he is really good at getting it. In fact, Perillo’s first campaign for the 113th district in the 2007 special election was the very first campaign in Connecticut to get CEP funding.
That first campaign saw Perillo and his Democrat opponent Orazietti each get $18,750 in CEP funding. Perillo easily beat Orazietti in the special election 2,107 to 1,155. Orazietti had previously run for the 113th seat 3 times against Belden in 1998, 2000, and 2002 Belden creamed the guy every time it was never close.
In 2008 Perillo won a second term unopposed, but he put in for CEP cash that he didn’t need. This is wasteful spending it doesn’t make sense, but the allure of easy money has a very strong appeal. Why do we need to spend money on unopposed incumbents?
Perillo’s next 2 wins are interesting in 2010 and 2012 he runs against Democrat Elaine Matto they both get CEP in 2010 costing the state over $52,000. Perillo beat Matto 5,130 to 2,473 in 2010. In 2012 these 2 rematched but this time Perillo got $27,000 in CEP and Matto informed the SEEC she was running with no money.
What a joke Perillo beat her again this time it was 6,574 to Matto’s 2,891. Matto got more votes with no money than she did with the $26,000 in cash she received for the 2010 run. 2012 was a Presidential year so more voters turn out unlike the midterm years or special elections when only the really true voters turnout and the counts are lowest of all.
In 2014 something happened with Perillo he didn’t get CEP he was unopposed just like in 2008 and he had raised over $6,000 but Perillo didn’t get that easy cash. Being unopposed he didn’t need it. This lack of CEP cash in 2014 makes 2016 more interesting because Perillo double dipped in that year he got 2 rounds of CEP cash because he had a Republican primary challenge, and he had a Democrat opponent in the fall.
Everyone got CEP that year and it was most expensive race in the history of the 113th all thanks to CEP. Perillo wiped the floor with both opponents in the primary his opponent had more people that donated to her campaign so that she could CEP than who actually came out to vote for her, imagine that.
The next races in 2018 and 2020 saw the exact same repeat of 2010 and 2012. Elaine Matto returned to face Perillo. They each got CEP cash in 2018 costing the state over $56,000 BUT in 2020 they rematched and just like 2012 Matto reported to the SEEC she was running with no money while Perillo took over $30,000. Matto got more votes in 2020 with no money than she did in 2018 which is the same as the previous pattern. How does this not raise any red flags in the SEEC, and it’s too bad local media doesn’t report on stuff like this. It would be interesting to hear what the candidates would have to say about their actions in these campaigns.
In 2022 and 2024 Perillo was unopposed easy wins, but he took the easy CEP cash anyway, he didn’t have too. Kevin Kelly was unopposed in 2024, and he took no CEP cash.
How does this wasteful CEP spending make Connecticut more affordable?
In less than 3 weeks, early voting starts on February 20th for the 21st State Senate seat which was abandoned by Kevin Kelly. The 21st senate seat is a GOP strong hold which was actually held by Stratford’s Doc Gunther who was the longest serving member of the state senate prior to retiring.
An open seat with no incumbent and a February election seems like the best opportunity a Democrat can have at this seat. Both candidates appear to be getting over $93,000 each in CEP to see who will win this seat. Over $200,000 in campaign money plus the cost for 4 days of early voting then the election day expenses will make this one seat pretty expensive and if Perillo wins the process will start all over for his 113th state house seat.
It’s kind of funny that both the 113th seat in the house and the 21st seat in the senate were held by Republicans Belden and Gunther who won the seats over and over again without CEP. I bet those guys would call out how ridiculous the cost has gotten now
Last year Jason Perillo raised $6,835 and then he requested and received CEP funding of $10,930 to run against no one and on top of that he spent $2,055.83 at Caloroso restaurant on election night while returning only $378.50 to the SEEC to be used in more clear elections like the upcoming special one on Feb. 25th.
Last year Kevin Kelly raised $12,585, took no CEP ( which was a first for him), like Perillo, Kelly was unopposed and since he didn’t even need the $12K Kelly donated $1,896 to Team Inc. in Ansonia which is an early education and child care center. Stuff like that is where money should be invested and not $2,000 election night bar bills on the CEP dime. It’s not a good look when $2,000 could go a lot further in local food panties.
CEP spending like this that should be reported on, and it happens in both parties. Last year’s local biggest waster of CEP cash is Stratford’s other State Senator Democrat Gaston over $233,000 but that’s a whole other story. There are lots of shenanigans in this CEP stuff and right now we have a special election going on in 21st where over $186,000 will be given to 2 guys. How will they spent it? Perillo says he wants to make Connecticut more affordable but his use of CEP tells a different story.
Ben Proto, GOP state chairman, said Friday that Perillo seems to have the inside track. “Obviously it’s a seat we’re going to hold. When you look at the four towns, all went heavily Republican in November, although Stratford not so much.”
