VOTER'S GUIDE 2012: Hamden Primary Primer

While primary races for state and federal offices have gotten most of the media attention in recent months, there are two nomination races in Hamden that will be decided by Democratic voters Tuesday.

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Judge of Probate

Former Mayor Craig Henrici is the party-endorsed candidate for Judge of Probate, which has jurisdiction over both Hamden and Bethany, but local Hamden attorney Ned Burt is challenging him for that nomination.

Here's how the candidates break down:

Craig Henrici served as Hamden's mayor from 2005 to 2009. Before that, he was a member of the Legislative Council from 1983 to 1997, serving as its president from 1987 to 1997.

He represented Hamden, Wallingford and Cheshire in the state General Assembly from 1997 to 1999 and was an assistant Hamden town attorney from 2010 to 2012.

He graduated from Hamden High School in 1971, Middlebury College in 1975 with a BA in Geography and the University of Bridgeport Law School in 1981.

He has practiced law for more than 30 years, focusing on wills, trusts and probate administration. He is a former managing partner with the firm Loughlin Fitzgerald and founded Craig B. Henrici Associates in 2009.

Attorney Ned Burt graduated from Hamden High School in 1973 and earned a bachelor's degree from Fairfield University and a law degree from Western New England School of Law.

Burt served on the Legislative Council and the Democratic Town Committee, and has been most active with Hamden Father's Baseball and Softball associations, and is a founding member of Larry's Playground at Bassett Park.

He has practiced law for more than 30 years and has law offices on Whitney Avenue that he shares with his wife, attorney Christine Burt. He has served as a Court Appointed Arbitrator for the state Superior Court and has been an Adjunct Faculty Member at Quinnipiac University for more than 25 years.

"I have handled cases involving tragic deaths in automobile accidents, have handled real estate matters and have handled probate matters on a regular basis for three decades," he said . "I have made difficult decisions in Arbitration cases involving complex issues.  And I have studied subjects in order to teach my students so that they can better understand issues involving legal topics."

91st District

The Democratic Town Committee endorsed former Legislative Council member John Flanagan to replace the retiring Peter Villano for the 91st District seat, and immediately Board of Education chairman Michael D'Agostino filed papers to primary him for the nomination.

The winner faces Republican Joseph Bertini Jr. in the November election.

 is a a building/construction/home inspector, a rehabilitation construction specialist and an historical reatoration consultatnt and has sat on a number of town building committees.

He is a nationally certified rehabilitation construction specialist. He worked for Hamden's Neighborhood Preservation office from 1983 to 1986 as a rehabilitation specialist.

He is a former Democratic Registrar of Voters and served on the Legislative Council for six terms. He is a member of the Hamden Plains Civic Association, chairman of the Hamden Plains Cemetary Committee and Task Force Member, Replacing Church & Helen Street Schools.

He earned a bachelor's degree in education from Seton Hall University and early in his career was a school teacher and has served as a PTA president.

You can view his website here. 

 is an attorney with the Hartford firm Bingham McCutchen LLP,where he is a partner with the firm and coordinates the pro bono efforts of Bingham’s Hartford office.

He is the chairman of the Hamden Board of Education, on which he has served for 13 years and its chairman since 2005, and has served on the Farmington Canal Commission and the Board of Police Commissioners.

He graduated from Hamden High School and attended the University of Virginia and the University of Virginia School of Law before returning to Hamden.

D'Agostino is the son of former Hamden Superintendent, Dr. Julius J. D’Agostino.

You can view his webstie here.