Libertarian Challenges 9 t h House District Incumbent
Richard Lion, a Libertarian who has previously run for state representative and mayor of Hartford, is challenging Democratic incumbent Jason Rojas in the 9th House District.
This is Lion's seventh run for public office. Lion, who describes himself as more of an activist than a politician, has yet to be elected.
"It's not that I don't want to win, but if winning was my number one thing, I wouldn't have run with the Libertarian Party. I would have run with the Democratic Party," said the 58-year-old Manchester resident. "But I don't think what America needs is another Democrat or another Republican. I think we need more parties."
The 9th House District covers East Hartford and Manchester.
In previous campaigns, Lion's primary topic was marijuana legalization. This time around, he says all drugs should be legal. The war on drugs, he said, creates crime on the streets, costs millions in tax dollars and oppresses people, he said.
"We're paying taxes to put people in jail," he said. "We can't lower our taxes if you're going to keep building stupid things and putting people in jail for no reason."
If cocaine were sold in package stores, the potency of the drug would be regulated, leading to less accidental overdoses. Revenues from taxing the drug could be used to help rehabilitate addicts, he said.
Legalizing drugs like cocaine would also reduce violent crimes associated with illegal street sales, he said.
Lion is opposed to what he believes are unnecessary construction projects like the University of Connecticut football stadium, the busway and the Rock Cats baseball stadium.
"They talk about wanting to lower taxes, but they propose to build a baseball stadium and a bus line to New Britain," he said.
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Libertarian Challenges 9 t h House District Incumbent