Republican leaders in Simsbury, Manchester and Torrington say the attacks against Themis Klarides hurt the part in the race against Richard Blumenthal for the U.S. Senate.
Mark Kohler, of North Haven, will take the secretary of the state role effective July 11, succeeding Denise Merrill, who is stepping down to care for her ailing husband.
Nationally, the Associated Press finds a shift of a million Democrats who have joined the Republican Party, creating a big problem for Democrats in upcoming elections.