Tom Ritter Says Goodbye To the Second District

Speaker of the House Tom Ritter (D-2nd) told a group of friends and supporters in an informal, low-key announcement about his departure from elective politics at Noah Webster School on Thursday. Ritter said he would not seek re-election to the Connecticut General Assembly after his term expires in January, 1999.

The school library, where the announcement took place, was the same place where Ritter started his career in the House with an announcement in 1980 that he would run to succeed his father, George Ritter.

"Just looking back, there's been some interesting times," said Ritter.

"It's sadder leaving the second district, than it is leaving as Speaker," said Ritter.

"It's the passing of an era and it's going to leave a big gap in the Hartford delegation," said State Rep. Art Feltman (D-6th).

Ritter counted among the projects he was most proud of, the Community Health Services medical center on Albany Avenue ("It is something that will really anchor North Hartford."), the new UCONN Law Library, renovations to the Veeder-Root facility, and saving the Farmington Avenue Fleet Bank branch.

His announcement, he said, was timed to allow candidates looking to run in the 2nd district time enough to form a candidacy.

"The reason I wanted to do this so early was out of respect to everyone who wanted my job," Ritter said. Other projects started or completed during Ritter's tenure include the Artists' Collective, renovations to Sigourney Square Park, tennis courts and pond house at Elizabeth Park and renovations to soccer fields for youth in the West End.

Ritter's leaving elective politics follows closely on the heels of a somewhat divisive campaign in 1996 that brought into starker contrast the racial lines dividing his district, and the retirement of State Sen. Bill DiBella, another senior member of the Hartford state political delegation.

"When I first announced that I would run for the House of Representatives, my daughter was six months old. Now she is 18 and a registered Democratic voter in Hartford," Ritter said.

Ritter announced earlier this month that he will not seek the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, but will support Congresswoman Barbara Kennelly in her candidacy for governor.