Do the right thing
This editorial appeared in the Hartford Courant. S tate Rep. Angel Arce, D-Hartford, wisely pledged to resign his seat in the General Assembly in the wake of revelations that he had sent creepy messages to a 16-year-old girl. We are still waiting.
In his March 7 announcement, Arce said he didn’t “want my presence to be a distraction to the (legislature’s) very important work.” Now his absence is the distraction.
Arce missed a key House vote and, according to The Courant’s Jon Lender, he hasn’t been seen at the Capitol or around Hartford.
Now House leadership is weighing whether to expel him. It can be done with a two-thirds vote, says the state constitution, but getting the legislature to make that happen would require organizational will of the sort rarely seen under the golden dome.
Arce’s attorney points out that the text messages didn’t break any laws. Fair enough. But much more is expected of elected representatives. Arce’s conduct was, at best, wickedly inappropriate in any context, and if he worked in the private sector, his job would be in serious jeopardy.
He is expected to represent his constituents with dignity. He cannot do that any longer, and he was right to announce that he would resign.
All that’s missing now is the letter to the legislature. Mr. Arce, don’t drag this out.
Sadly, he isn’t the only aspiring legislator in the news lately who isn’t fit for public service. Former Enfield state Rep. David Alexander, a Democrat who is running for the Senate seat held by Republican John Kissel, was arrested Saturday morning after allegedly throwing a coffee mug at his mother’s head.
Alexander has run afoul of the law before. He has been charged twice with drunken driving and was once charged with punching his father in the face. He lost his re-election bid in 2016.
Even if Kissel’s seat were in jeopardy — he has been firmly ensconced since 1993 — Alexander would not be the candidate to unseat him. He too has squandered the public trust and should end his bid for office.
It’s sad that two promising legislators haven’t been able to meet the expectations of elected representatives. They should both acknowledge that the public sphere isn’t the place for them.