The Barkhamsted Republican Town Committee is proud to have won our town for our Presidential nominee Donald Trump, as well as our Congressional candidate, Matthew Corey, and our State Senator Kevin Witkos.
Numbers just reported from our fine Registrar of Voters:
POTUS:
Trump/Pence: 1155
Clinton/Kaine: 899
{Libertarian candidate ticket got 94 and Green party ticket got 36}
U.S. Senate:
Richard Blumenthal: 1099
Dan Carter: 1005
{libertarian candidate 43 and Green party candidate 19}
Barkhamsted RTC F/R (l-r) State Rep. Tim LeGeyt, U.S. Senate candidate Dan Carter, State Senator Kevin Witkos, BRTC Chair Juliana Simone, State Rep. William Simanski
The Barkhamsted Republican Town Committee held its biannual fundraiser on October 11th. The event was held at the home of the committee Chair, Juliana Simone. Committee members brought food and beverages for guests to enjoy. Candidates for state and federal office were on hand to talk to and later address the guests giving campaign speeches.
District candidates, Barkhamsted State Representative, William Simanski (R-62), who is running unopposed to serve his fourth term, and State Senator Kevin Witkos (R-8), whose district includes the town of Barkhamsted as well as ten other towns, is running for reelection to serve his fifth term in the Senate, after serving in the State House. He is currently the Deputy Minority Leader, second to State Senator Len Fasano, in senate leadership.
Simanksi and Witkos both used their time as speakers to acknowledge the failures of the Malloy administration, and how under two terms of this democrat Governor, things have only worsened.
First Congressional candidate Matthew Corey (CT-1), challenging entrenched democrat Congressman John Larson for a third time, is a small businessman who owns and operates two companies in Hartford and is a Navy veteran. {To see his recent interview on our RTC committee cable show click this link}
U.S. Senate candidate, Dan Carter, who is presently a State Representative in Connecticut’s second district after being elected to office in 2010, is an Air Force veteran, and has a background in the health care industry. {To see his recent interview on our RTC committee cable show click this link} https://communityaccesstv.viebit.com/#bWb5oh5gZAGn
Corey and Carter used their time as speakers to acknowledge both the failures to Connecticut residents and taxpayers under the Democrat majority in our state legislature, and how the federal delegation that represents the Constitution State in Washington, D.C., that consists of five members of the House of Representatives, and two U.S. Senators, all members of the democrat party, have voted consistently with their caucus leadership, and fail Connecticut’s needs overall.
Corey is challenging U.S. Rep. John Larson (D), who exemplifies why term limits need to be imposed, after making a career in Washington for seventeen years. Carter is challenging one-term incumbent, U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, who has also made a lifetime profession working for the government, as Connecticut’s Attorney General for twenty years, before moving on to a federal seat.
Peter Lumaj, also gave a moving speech to the crowd. The 2014 Secretary of the State candidate, who doubled the amount of votes the prior nominee received four years earlier, currently has an exploratory committee for a statewide office race in 2018. Lumaj also sought the nomination to be the Republican U.S. Senate candidate in 2012. Barkhamsted RTC Chair, Juliana Simone, seconded his nomination at the state convention that year.
Lumaj reminded everyone “If you can’t vote for Trump, vote for Republican Party,” he said. “We must support any and every office we can. We cannot keep fighting each other. If you do not vote for Trump, it is a vote for Hillary.”
He also reminded people that he grew up in a communist country, and how he escaped to America to live a life of liberty and opportunity. Like others with his background, he fears the country he came to embrace for its freedoms, he now sees becoming more like the country he and his brothers fled, with the liberal democrat agenda of making America a socialist nation.
State Representative Tim LeGeyt (R-17), who took over the Witkos seat when he moved forward to the Senate, also came to the event. Harwinton First Selectman Mike Criss, and Barkhamsted Selectman, Mark Hemenway (R), was another elected official present as well as Rich Tutunjian, who is a State Central Committee member for the senate district eight, in addition to BRTC treasurer, Rev. Steven Blackburn, Ph.D., along with former RTC Chair, Robert Brainard III, who serve on the Board of Assessment Appeals in addition to being RTC members.
Hard-working reporter, Kathryn Boughton, came to cover the occasion for The Republican American, a respected state newspaper in circulation for over 150 years, known for its conservative investigative reporting*. Ms. Boughton spoke at length to all the candidates and published a fine report that accurately described the candidates’ positions in the October 13th edition. {Editor’s note: see attached scan}
Party members and unaffiliated voters came from both native Barkhamsted and towns around the state. A good time was had by all. Thank you to the many committee members who came out in support of our RTC, and to our candidates and guests who made the evening memorable and informative.
Vote November 8th, for all of our Republican candidates, everyone! The difference in how the future of America will proceed is monumental.
State Senator Kevin Witkos (R-8) and Congressional candidate Matthew Corey (CT-1) at the Barkhamsted Independence Day Parade
July 4th, 2016
Barkhamsted, CT – The Lion’s Club held its annual Independence Day parade today which was met with a large attendance that consisted of local residents and area enthusiasts who enjoy this Norman Rockwell style event, that is a throwback to true Americana. The Barkhamsted Republican Town Committee float had State Senator Kevin Witkos and First Congressional candidate Matthew Corey on board. Witkos is serving his fourth term as the representing senator of district 8 and is also the Senate Minority Leader Pro Tempore in his caucus with the Connecticut General Assembly. The senator also owns a restaurant in Canton and holds a part-time position with Northeast Utilities.
(l) Matthew Corey (CT-1) congressional candidate and (r) State Senator Kevin Witkos on Barkhamsted RTC float
Matthew Corey, is a businessman who runs two companies, a bar in downtown Hartford, McKinnon’s, which Corey opened in 2002, and a skyscraper window washing firm, Advanced Services International which was created in 1990. He is challenging embedded democrat John Larson for a second time as the Republican nominee, but first faced Larson in 2012 as an Independent. Corey is also a navy veteran.
Matthew Corey (CT-1) candidate and Barkhamsted RTC Chair Juliana Simone
Fellow Republican and Lion’s Club member, Mark Mahoney, sells Barkhamsted t-shirts for proceeds to aid the Lions Club on Independence Day.
Barkhamsted RTC float in Independence Day parade 2016 {photo: Mark Mahoney}
The parade also had floats from the American Legion’s Riverton Post 159, local churches, the Barkhamsted Historical Society, of course, the Lions Club, and a variety of others, many who were new to the line. First Selectman Don Stein (D) also participated and made the rounds.
American Legion Riverton Post 159 Float with Ed Tibbets, George Washington and many other fine veterans.
Following the fire engines which traditionally close the parade and are driven by Barkhamsted’s finest, the event closes with music played by the star band, a group of volunteer musicians who only meet on this one occasion each year to play patriotic songs that include the “Star Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful.”
Barkhamsted CT Star Band
Tribute was given to the Barkhamsted Baseball Youth League and a prayer was recited by the Pleasant Valley Methodist Church minister.
Thanks to veteran RTC member Ernie Little, Mark Carotunti for the use of his Dodge Ram heavy duty truck, and former RTC Chair, Dave Moulton, for helping decorate the float today…as well as my son and his good friend for throwing candy to the crowd.
(l) BRTC Chair Juliana Simone and (r) veteran State Central member Rich Tutunjian
May 12th, 2015
Canton – The delegates for the State Senate District Eight met last night at 7PM to reelect their two State Central members, veteran Rich Tutunjian, and Marianne Clark, who has served one term after being elected in 2013. Mrs. Clark took the place of former Congressional candidate (CT-5) Lisa Wilson Foley, who was elected to the committee during her candidacy, but was not seeking to serve another. Mr. Tutunjian, has served the district for seven years with two years as proxy prior to his election to the committee in 2008.
Avon RTC Chair, Brian Ladouceur, Jr. chaired the convention, and Torrington RTC Secretary, Donna Isley, was the secretary. Delegates from ten of the eleven towns that make up the eighth senate district all had representatives on hand – they came to the Canton Community Center from Avon, Barkhamsted, Canton, Colebrook, Granby, Hartland, New Hartford, Norfolk, Simsbury and Torrington. Senator Kevin Witkos, was unable to attend due to his schedule at the Capitol which is now in session.
Some notable delegates on hand not mentioned in the body of this post, were New Hartford First Selectman Dan Jerram and BOS member Alesia Kerrison, Barkhamsted and former Peter Lumaj for SOTS 2014 campaign treasurer, Steve Blackburn, Colebrook RTC Chair Ron Aubel, Granby RTC Chair Mark Neumann, Hartland’s Connie Irwin, Simsbury RTC Chair and former State Representative Rob Heagney, and long-serving Norfolk RTC Chair Carl Gundlach.
After formalities of establishing rules and credential committees, as well as permanently electing the convention Chair and Secretary, the meeting proceeded with nominating speeches for both state central members who were uncontested. Though the veteran member is traditionally nominated first, tonight’s convention had Marianne Clark be the initial nominee.
Former Torrington RTC Chair, Wendy Traub, gave an enthusiastic speech about Mrs. Clark and her first term, mentioning her membership to the Farmington Valley Republican Women’s club and Avon Republican Town Committee, her help with events and fundraisers, as a Justice of the Peace, and her two successful sons. Traub also noted Clark helped her pick out her campaign logo design when she was running for the State House and getting little assistance from her own RTC.
Avon RTC Vice Chair, Stephen Hunt, seconded Marianne, musing over how as a newly appointed state central member, during the GOP Chair election that soon followed, Clark voted against the sitting CT Republican State Chair Jerry Labriola, Jr. and cast her vote instead for CT tea party patriot and former businessman, Ron Wilcox, a Newtown resident and RTC member. Hunt told the delegates that she listened to the eighth district members who told her they would like someone other than Labriola, and to him, someone who did what others suggested was a good thing. This was met with scattered applause as some delegates in the audience, preferred Labriola’s reelection.
Convention Chair Ladouceur, called Barkhamsted RTC Chair, Juliana Simone, {editor: this author} next to nominate Richard Tutunjian, also a member of the Barkhamsted RTC, for his fourth term. Simone told the delegates how she emailed all of the district eight Chairs a little while ago, to advise them that Richard would like to retire and a replacement for him would be needed. She added the Senator this district represents, Canton’s Kevin Witkos, along with Tutunjian and Simone, agreed the person who took over his membership should reside in the First Congressional District, since the Senator’s district is split between two Congressional districts, the first and the fifth.
The eighth senate district is the second largest in the state of Connecticut. Six of the towns are in CT-1 and five are in CT-5. Representation of Senator Witkos should be held in both of these districts for this large number of constituents.
State Senator Kevin Witkos (R-8)
Lauding State Central member, Richard Tutunjian, for his serving on the committee for seven years with two prior years additionally as proxy, and maintaining a 100% attendance record for all of these terms, Simone also reminded everyone how Tutunjian even went beyond the district to attend fellow town committee events, help campaigns, advise candidates and even attend conferences on things like election law, which he felt would be useful to know in his role.
RTC Chair Simone asked fellow delegates to consider being a proxy for Richard as he holds his position on State Central until someone comes forward to take over his seat. She acknowledged there were reasons no one was stepping up to become the new member for the eighth, as it involves evening meetings, long drives throughout the state, and an expense to the membership is involved. Nevertheless, she hoped anyone who hadn’t been to a meeting, or been to one in some time, would proxy one month for Tutunjian, to see if they enjoyed it and what it was like, and if so, to go a second time.
Seconding Simone, was Bob Howson, from the New Hartford RTC. He was happy to tell delegates how Richard comes regularly to their meetings, attends their annual and election events, and was always available in terms of communication. He added his committee also agreed with Juliana that the person who replaces Rich should be from the First Congressional district.
In their thank you speeches, Clark, going first, talked about Malloy and his raising taxes again in CT, thanked anyone in the convention who went to the public hearing the day before to testify against the proposed tax hike, how she believed the state of Connecticut would be red again, due to the House Republican gains made in November as well as one Senate seat, and that she believed it was time for sitting CT Republican Chair Jerry Labriola, Jr. to go, and that there were three equally good candidates to vote for in the upcoming election. She also thanked her husband for his allowing her to pursue all of her political passions.
Former State Central member Mayan Antonucci, who served before Tutunjian or Clark, also addressed the convention for a minute to please ask for a moment of silence for former State Senator Tom Herlihy, who recently passed, and held the 8th district seat before Witkos.
Tutunjian, more casually, sat on the end of the Chair’s long table, and kept his focus on the State Central Committee, and what he believed the weaknesses of it were, and how they could be fixed; how important communication was and that all State Central members should be readily available to anyone inside or outside their districts to answer any questions anyone might have, and how more collective effort needs to be made in terms of our candidates overall and their campaigns.
(l) Marianne Clark and (r) Richard Tutunjian – State Central members Senate District 8
Barkhamsted Republican Town Committee and CT GOP news
