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Marino, of Orange, a former Republican Town Committee chairman who has been town attorney in Orange for more than two years, said he is "running for the future of Connecticut."
"I am running for the children so they can one day call Connecticut home, and when I look at the state of the state today with a record number of 18- to 34-year-olds leaving the state, I question whether my children will be able to call Connecticut home," Marino said. "I am someone who will seek to stop issues before they become problems."
But Slossberg, a former Milford aldermanic minority leader, said this year, more than ever, people are worried about how to make ends meet, pay for groceries and utilities and how to afford to send children to college.
"I've shown over the last four years I've been able to work across party lines and accomplish a great deal for the people in our district," Slossberg said. "It's going to take real leadership to navigate through these very difficult economic times."
The 14th Senatorial District includes Milford, Orange and parts of West Haven.
Slossberg and Marino both said their main focus is improving the state economy. Slossberg said she helped author legislation that fosters a job creation tax credit and rewards companies that add new jobs.
Slossberg said she was at the forefront earlier this year in publicly speaking out against United Illuminating Co.'s proposed rate hike, which was defeated. She also is committed to cutting spending and said there are hundreds of millions of dollars tied up in previously allocated projects that were never done. She said she would work to free up cut that money in the budget.
Marino said residents can't afford another tax hike and state spending must be cut by 5 percent. He said the state is dead-last in being friendly to businesses, and needs to devise tax incentives for small businesses that hire Connecticut residents.
Marino has made the proposed three strikes law for convicted felons a central element of his campaign.
"When a person is convicted three times of a violent offense that person goes to jail the rest of their life. No question," Marino said. "I believe when a person is convicted three times that person has earned a life sentence."
He said Slossberg voted twice against the law, and the "so-called" three strikes law enacted does not ensure life in prison for violent repeat offenders.
Slossberg said the General Assembly passed tough new laws that address the 2007 Cheshire home invasion that left three people dead. She said the Governor's Task Force, which includes public safety and law experts, opposes the proposed three strikes law. The General Assembly created a crime of home invasion mandating a minimum sentence of 10 years. Also a repeat offender has their sentences doubled and tripled after each offense.
"So we take the criminals off the street at the second strike," Slossberg said. "I don't want to wait for the third strike."
She also said the proposed three strikes law includes a 30-year review, which means a prisoner could be let out. "I don't believe in using fear and half-truths to get votes is going to help anyone."
Concerning education, Marino said Slossberg is making claims to get elected. Slossberg introduced a bill that would have the state pay towns for all special education funds after initial per pupil cost. He said it was a political ploy and she could not get it out of committee. Marino said he'd quit his campaign and endorse Slossberg if she could get the state to pay all special education costs.
Slossberg said if the state paid all special education costs for Milford it would shave 3.5 mills off the tax rate, 7 mills in West Haven,and 2.2 mills in Orange. She said the state Conference of Municipalities endorsed the measure.
Marino and Slossberg both said they are committed to ensuring West Haven and Orange train station projects are built. He said there has been a 9-year waiting period, which is "unacceptable." Slossberg said the West Haven project is scheduled for a spring groundbreaking and completion in 2011.
