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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2001

As of Tuesday, seven Democrats are in the running for their party's nomination to Connecticut's 2nd Congressional District.

Former state representative Joseph Courtney officially announced his candidacy yesterday. Jeff Benedict, author of a book challenging the genealogy of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, is also running but won't officially announce until Saturday.

In an opinion piece published last year, Benedict advocated terminating the Pequot Tribe. Termination was stopped and denounced by President Nixon and officially repealed during the Reagan administration.

Freshman Congressman Rob Simmons (R) currently holds the 2nd District seat. He is mediating talks between the Mashantucket Tribe and three neighboring towns over trust land.

Simmons defeated former Rep. Sam Gejdenson for the seat. Gejdenson introduced the 1983 law that granted the Mashantucket Tribe federal recognition and settled the tribe's outstanding land claims.

Get the Story:
Joseph Courtney to seek nod for Simmons' seat (The New London Day 9/26)

Related Stories:
Pequot author to enter Conn. race (9/25)
Opinion: Benedict heating up race (8/14)
Pequot author tackling Congress (8/10)
After Pequot book, woman still alone (8/9)
Author advocates termination (7/17)