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NOVEMBER 6, 2000

THE RACE:
House of Representatives, 2nd District

MAJOR CANDIDATES:
Democrat - Sam Gejdenson
Republican - Robert Simmons

THE DL: Too close to call
Incumbent Sam Gejdenson is in his 10th term in Congress. But he faces a strong challenge from Robert Simmons. Polls put the two at a dead heat.

Simmons has made Indian issues a focus of his many attacks on Gejdenson, who introduced the 1983 Mashantucket Pequot Settlement Act, which granted the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation federal recognition and settled their oustanding land claims. Simmons promises to give more weight to local views on tribal issues, in particular, the anti-annexation and anti-federal recognition stances of three small towns near two Pequot reservations.

But as a poll by a regional newspaper shows, not many outside the immediate vicinity of the towns consider Indian issues important. The same newspaper endorsed Simmons because Gejdenson has taken "sides" with the Mashantucket Tribe instead of the towns.

Still, support for Simmons is strong. He has enlisted the support of other major Republicans, including Senator John McCain of Arizona, who recently visited the state to campaign for him.

According to the Center for Responsible Politics, the Mashantucket PAC has contributed just $2,000 to Democrats this election cycle. Of that amount, $1,000 each went to Senator and Vice Presidential candidate Joe Lieberman of Connecicut and to Senator Tim Johnson of South Dakota.

Chairman Kenneth Reels gave $1,000 in 1999 to Gejdenson.

Related Stories:
EDITORIAL: The Day's Choice: A match for Sam Gejdenson (The New London Day 11/4)
Voters not concerned with Indian issues (Politics 11/2)
Are Pequots a campaign issue? (The Talking Circle 09/22)