Launching his grassroots campaign, Democrat Shaun McNally says his experience in the General Assembly and in the private sector, as well as his work abroad in the Peace Corps, make him the best candidate for Congress
McNally challenges Sullivan for second district
By: LISA CARTER , Staff writer 06/20/2004
Launching his grassroots campaign, Democrat Shaun McNally says his experience in the General Assembly and in the private sector, as well as his work abroad in the Peace Corps, make him the best candidate for Congress.
Advertisement
Democratic candidate for Congress Shaun McNally presented his vision for the future before a group of approximately 35 people at Memorial Town Hall June 10.
McNally will compete with Democrat Jim Sullivan of Norwich in a Democratic primary to be held Aug. 10. Although Sullivan won the endorsement at the state Democratic Convention, McNally had enough delegates, in addition to petition signatures, to force a primary.
The winner of the race will go up against two-term Republican incumbent Rob Simmons in the November Congressional election. The race for control of the 2nd Congressional District, which encompasses 64 towns and all of Eastern Connecticut, is said to be one of the 20 most hotly contested races in the country.
McNally, 46, currently resides in Deep River with his wife Dr. Madeline Wilson, a primary care physician and faculty member at Yale Medical School, and 9-year-old daughter Kate. Until he left his job nine months ago to work on the campaign, McNally worked for the Connecticut Business & Industry Association, where he served as director of public affairs and chief internet strategist.
McNally had fairly humble beginnings as the eldest of six children growing up in working class Norwich. Attending public schools all his life, he put himself through the University of Connecticut with the help of various jobs and financial aid, graduating with a bachelor's degree in political science. He later went on to receive a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.
His career in public service began at age 17 with an internship for then-Congressman Chris Dodd. He later worked on Dodd's Senate campaign and served as an aide to Rep. Sam Gejdenson.
In 1982 McNally left the country to spend two years directing a small-scale agriculture project in a remote area of Liberia for the Peace Corps.
McNally ran for a seat in the Connecticut General Assembly in 1986, after returning to the U.S. He beat the odds by prevailing over the endorsed Democratic candidate in a primary and later unseated the Republican incumbent.
McNally cites a number of accomplishments during his three-term tenure including a post as chairman of the Planning and Development Committee, the creation of the Connecticut Higher Education savings bond program, the creation of the Task Force on Manufacturing to preserve Connecticut manufacturing jobs, and the creation of Connecticut Innovations, which resulted in thousands of high-tech jobs.
McNally also authored several pieces of legislation that expanded affordable rental housing and created opportunities for home ownership for Connecticut families. He also led an investigation that ultimately uncovered corruption and mismanagement of the state's housing programs, a move that won him the enmity of some of his Democratic colleagues.
McNally said he left his position in the General Assembly because he never intended to make politics his permanent career. At CBIA, he worked for small businesses in efforts to improve Connecticut's economy.
But in recent years the candidate said he could no longer watch the news without becoming angry at the country's direction and decided to reenter the political foray.
At the meeting June 10, he found many kindred spirits from Madison, Clinton and Westbrook who were also disillusioned. The varied group included a high school student critical of the "No Child Left Behind Act," a nurse at Yale-New Haven Hospital saddened by seniors having to travel to Canada to buy affordable drugs, a senior citizen decrying the erosion of civil liberties and a small business owner dismayed at the constant reports of corruption among public officials.
Taking on the major issues cited by the attendees, McNally spoke of ethics, the war in Iraq, health care, education and the environment.
McNally called for a change in the U.S. healthcare system saying the $1.6 trillion spent on healthcare last year makes the country first in the world in per-capita spending despite the fact millions of citizens go uninsured or underinsured. Not advocating a monolithic system completely run by the government, McNally feels it is possible to craft a system that "provides lots of responsive choices."
On Iraq, McNally criticized both Republican and Democratic Congressmen for approving the decision to invade the country and said he now favors an accelerated exit strategy for withdrawal of American troops.
As an alternative to military solutions to international problems, McNally said he advocated more developmental aid to impoverished countries, citing a New York Times editorial that indicated the U.S. spends 30 times more on military aid than it does on official development assistance.
In his own experience, McNally recalled a Liberian boy who fell out of a tree and developed tetanus. Not having received a tetanus shot as was provided in other villages, the boy was languishing until McNally found him and helped rush him to the hospital. But it was too late and he died.
"I said that day I'll never forget him, and I'll always try to do something about that," McNally said.
By spending more money on things such as medicine and schools, McNally feels people's lives would be enriched and America would regain the respect it has lost in the world community.
On education, McNally said one of his priorities would be to repeal the "No Child Left Behind" Act, not merely fix it, as his opponents have advocated. He feels the federal government could be very helpful in local education by providing increased funding for special education, something that was promised in the 1960s but never delivered, he said.
On the environment, McNally said he would work hard to protect natural resources but added that change would require some sacrifice from the people.
"If I had a chance to vote to eliminate the subsidies we provide for SUVs, I have to tell you, I'm going to vote for them," he said. "And then give those subsidies to people who want to buy a hybrid car."
McNally closed the event expressing optimism for his grass-roots campaign in the face of formidable opponents with more money. Reiterating his commitment to ethical leadership, he spoke of his pledge to not take any money from political action groups or special interests.
"A lot of political consultants say, 'that's the end of your campaign. You need that money,'" McNally said. "I'm hopeful that they're wrong, and I'm hopeful that if we're able to win this election, that it'll be a transformative election."
©Shore Line Times 2004
