Bristol – Barkhamsted Republican Town Committee Chair Juliana Simone broke the news last night from text messages sent from State Central Committee friends voting in Bristol for who of three candidates would be the next CT GOP Chair.
Being a Republican in Connecticut is like being a New York Jets fan. To be a supporter of an underdog team, weathering the losses and relishing the momentary high of any win however close, takes dedication, tenacity and the unwavering belief that next year will be different. In football, the coach of the team or the quarterback are commonly replaced. In politics, the Party Chairman and candidates are traded for a new shot at winning the season.
Tuesday evening, the State Central Committee met in Nuchie’s restaurant’s banquet room to elect a new Chairman after sitting two-term Jerry Labriola, Jr., an attorney from Naugatuck with a political family, decided not to seek a third term. He plans to focus on helping his endorsed Republican candidate for President, Marco Rubio, and will remain active in state politics.
Three candidates all vied for the title of new State Party Chair – State Senator Joe Markley, 58, who ran unopposed in 2014 whose sixteenth district includes Cheshire, Prospect, Southington, Waterbury, Wolcott; John Pavia, 52, a businessman, media guest commentator and law professor from Easton; and J.R. Romano, 36, a former staff member of the Connecticut Republican Party, State Representative candidate in 2004 and 2006 in his home town of Derby, the Campaign Manager for Peter Schiff, a well-known financial analyst, author and radio host who ran for the CT GOP nomination to run for the open U.S. Senate seat in 2010 and petitioned his way on to the ballot to primary (he lost to WWE’s Linda McMahon). Romano most recently worked as the state director for Americans for Prosperity until early 2014, when the conservative advocacy group cancelled this position in Connecticut and as the campaign manager for Tim Herbst in 2014 who ran for State Treasurer.
Senator Markley was nominated by state central member Allen Hoffman, John Pavia was nominated by state central member Bob Hall, who had endorsed John prior to the election, and New Britain’s Mayor, Erin Stewart, nominated J.R. Romano.
The seventy-two state central membership, plus two others – the Heads of the College Republicans and Young Republicans, made up the 74 on hand to vote. There also twelve ‘half’ votes who are given to members whose state senate districts have the largest party turnout on Election Day – this makes eighty total votes. The winning candidate needs 41 to win. (Technically 40.5)
As reported on Ameriborn News last night, as the votes came in and updates were received, the first round of votes gave Senator Markley 21 votes, John Pavia 25.5 votes and J.R. Romano 33.5 votes. Markley had suggested earlier that whichever of the three had the least amount of votes after the first round should withdraw. Since he had the smallest total, he dropped out and left the choice now to members between Pavia and Romano.
The second round had Romano’s lead go up to over fifty votes giving him the majority to win. Although the committee was going to allow switching, as they do at the party state convention where delegates can change their vote from how they originally cast it in the first round, Pavia being a gentleman seeing Romano had the votes, said they should skip the switching portion of the final tally, and vote in J.R. Romano unanimously as the new Connecticut Republican Chairman. Pavia gave a brief but positive concession speech that received a standing ovation.
With other business on the agenda for members to address, including the elections of the other Party Officers, J.R. Romano thanked members and went on to Chair his first meeting the new CT GOP Chair. Vice Chair Annalisa Stravato was re-elected unchallenged. She recently took the place of retiring Republican House Minority Leader Themis Klarides. Secretary Art Scialabba was re-elected after being challenged by former Secretary Bill Jenkins. Treasurer Gary Shaffrick was re-elected after being challenged by fellow member Chuck Pyne.
With a Presidential year approaching in 2016, which draws the largest turnout on Election Day nationwide, this will be a tough two year term for Romano. This year there are only municipal elections to deal with in November, the one area Republicans do well. This should help free up time needed by Romano to settle into his new role.
Connecticut, is a blue state with no federal republican representatives elected to Washington out of five congressional seats and two U.S. senate seats. Early polls are already showing if Hillary Clinton is the democrat nominee, Connecticut voters will vote for her by a large margin despite her many scandals and investigations. Even if nationwide, Americans are tired of a Democrat Commander in Chief and the way the direction of our country has been going, the recent re-election of Governor Malloy with his heavy taxes and high unemployment rate still showed even if by one-two percent a Democrat will win here.
One major goal for the new Republican Chair and among the party’s leadership is to try to beef up its membership with younger voters and unaffiliated tired of the democrat majority’s high taxes and business unfriendly legislation. Hovering at just under 21%, the Republicans have the smallest total of registered voters. Unaffiliated voters are the highest at almost 42%.
Another is to elect a republican to federal office, but this has been the case since Connecticut lost the last Republican Congressman throughout the Northeast, Christopher Shays in 2008. With gains in the State House and one in the State Senate, there is hope that at least in their own towns and districts, voters are wising up and seeking republican representation to stop the excessive taxation, stifling business laws and bring more jobs back to the state.
As all New York Jets fans return each season to support their team despite the odds, their passion and hope for a better future is on the same scale as the Connecticut Republicans. Both work hard to achieve winning end results against the opposition. The drive never falters and the team continues on until the winning day they know they’re capable of arrives.
We wish J.R. Romano the best of luck in his new venture.
