This Sunday’s Face the State falls on Father’s Day, and we are joined by a new father who wasn’t sure he’d be celebrating on this day.   State Representative Chris Coutu is on Face the State to talk about his run for Congress, but we also talked about his baby daughter.

Alexandria Coutu underwent open heart surgery days after she was born in December.    Representative Coutu explains why her battle to live inspired him to try to take on Congressman Joe Courtney.      Coutu is running against fellow Republican Daria Novak for the chance to challenge the three term Democrat.

I asked Coutu how Courtney can be defeated in 2012, when he was just soundly re-elected in 2010, in what was supposed to be a GOP year.    Next year, Courtney will be joined by President Obama on the ballot, and despite 9% unemployment, 55% of voters in Connecticut approve of the President’s performance according to a poll by Quinnipiac released this week.   Coutu believes Courtney can be defeated, and he believes voters will turn to Republicans in response to the tax increase just passed by the Democratic-controlled state legislature.

Speaking of ballots, I can’t help but wonder if Coutu would be helped by the similarity of his name to that of the man he hopes to beat.     For a voter who forgets his or her glasses in the voting booth, Coutu could look an awful lot like Courtney.

Tune in this Sunday at 11AM for the complete interview with second district congressional candidate Chris Coutu, only on Channel 3. 

*photo courtesy Norwich Bulletin