Polls Open Tuesday for Probate Primary

With support for Democratic probate-judge candidates Jim Welsh and Marianne Lassman Fisher split down town lines, Democrats will have to turn out at the polls Tuesday to nominate their party's candidate in the race for the Greater Windsor Probate Court seat.

Lassman Fisher is a veteran probate judge, having served at the judge of South Windsor and East Windsor's court prior to the state's reorganization of probate districts two years ago.

Forced into an election against Windsor's Brian Griffin for judge of the newly-formed Greater Windsor Probate Court in 2010, Lassman Fisher, despite winning the majority in South Windsor and East Windsor, was unsuccessful in her bid for the seat.

The seat became vacant after .

Now, just like in the 2010 election, support for the two Democratic candidates (Welsh and Lassman Fisher) is divided by the Connecticut River.

Welsh, the only Windsor candidate — all other candidates are from South Windsor — has served as Connecticut's assistant attorney general, special assistant attorney general and legal director for the Department of Developmental Services over the past thirty years.

He also touts having been involved in "thousands of Probate proceedings over the years, addressed the Probate Assembly on several occasions, and provided training to new probate judges on behalf of the probate administrator."

Tuesday's primary will give birth to a Democratic nominee for the seat. Either Lassman Fisher or Welsh will then meet up with Republican candidate Kevin McCann, and independent candidates Keith Yagaloff and Judith Paquin in the August special election.

Polls across town are open Tues., June 26, and will be open between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.