Orange to Blue: Daily Kos endorses Chris Donovan, an extraordinary Connecticut progressive

Connecticut state House Speaker Chris Donovan (D) Please contribute $3 to Chris Donovan.

It's not every day that you get the chance to replace one awesome progressive with another. But thanks to Connecticut state House Speaker Chris Donovan, we do.

Yesterday, Markos wrote about Daily Kos's endorsement of Rep. Chris Murphy, an amazing opportunity to replace the odious Joe Lieberman with an unabashed progressive and an all-around great guy. Of course, because Murphy is running for Senate, that leaves his seat in the 5th Congressional District open. It's a swingish seat'the least-blue in Connecticut'that was held by Republican Nancy Johnson until Murphy dethroned her in 2006. The GOP of course wants it back, and we need to put our best foot forward.

Enter Donovan, who first won office in 1992 and has been speaker since 2009. Rather than dwell on his bio, though, I'd like to talk about his extraordinary record of accomplishments in the legislature, which have turned Connecticut into a progressive leader. Have some time on your hands? Good:

' Passed 12 minimum wage increases (just a sampling: 2000, 2002, 2005, 2008) and wants further hikes

' Established Connecticut's first-ever progressive income tax, which required millionaires to pay their fair share

' Closed a huge budget deficit last year without any layoffs of state workers

' Made Connecticut the first state to pass paid sick-leave legislation

' Instituted a state-level version of the DREAM Act

' Added transgender rights to state's anti-discrimination law

' Legalized medical marijuana and decriminalized marijuana possession

' Repealed the state's death penalty law

Thanks to this record, Donovan has earned nearly a clean sweep in endorsements from labor unions, as well as the formal backing of the state Democratic Party and the Working Families Party. There's just no question in my mind that he's the sort of guy we definitely, definitely want in Congress.

First, though, Donovan has to win his primary, which is on August 14. Unfortunately, EMILY's List, which is backing his chief rival, ex-state Rep. Elizabeth Esty, is on the attack'and they're going after Donovan using explicitly right-wing frames, calling him a "tax hiker." It's bad enough when Democratic institutions deploy such attacks; it's even more appalling when they level them at strong progressives like Donovan, who have managed to make Connecticut's tax code fairer. We need to make sure this anti-progressive agenda doesn't succeed.

And because we strive to be relentlessly reality-based, I also want to address an unfortunate incident that affected Donovan's campaign at the end of May. If you've followed this race, you know that Donovan's finance director was arrested by the FBI for allegedly engaging in illegal fundraising activities. Donovan hasn't been accused of any wrongdoing and says he has no knowledge of the alleged scheme. Since the story first broke, nothing's emerged to change that picture, but just as importantly, a week after the news came out, Donovan's allies in the labor movement held a packed rally for him, demonstrating that his friends don't doubt him and are proud to stick with him.

We should stick with him, too. Chris Donovan will do us proud when he's elected to the U.S. Congress. So please join Daily Kos in supporting one of the best progressives running anywhere in the country, and let's give Nancy Pelosi an awesome ally when she takes back the speaker's gavel.

Please contribute $3 to Chris Donovan.

P.S. As always, you can find Donovan's answers to our Orange to Blue questionnaire below the fold.