Submitted by Jerry Cincotta, Andy Duus, Michael Hahn, Marc Johnson and Paul Olmsted, Caucus endorsed candidates for the Republican Town Committee from District 5.
We five are proud conservatives:
• We believe the role of government should be limited as much as possible in our everyday lives.
• We are frustrated with the continued intrusion of progressive ideas into the everyday fabric of Greenwich.
• Each of us has served the town on various committees and campaigns, always striving for the best outcome for our community.
• We believe Greenwich is an ideal place to raise a family, run a business, and retire.
In 2019 the Republican Party held all three Greenwich State House seats. Fred Camillo had won election to an open First Selectman seat with 56% of the votes as did the Board of Estimation and Taxation with a matching victory of 56%. However, 2020 saw unprecedented challenges as more liberal voters moved into Greenwich and longtime Greenwich residents left for states like Florida and South Carolina.
The political tone in town also soured, as frustrated parents rightfully fought for the opening of schools and against the harmful masking of children. However, the Republican party held strong, 2021 saw the special election of Ryan Fazio to the State Senate in August and in November, Fred Camillo increased his vote share to 67% and although the BET vote share slipped to 54% yet the party remained united.
In 2022, the Republican Town Committee came under new leadership. While there were some positive initiatives undertaken, there were also issues that arose with respect to strategies and messaging. Unfortunately, in the 2022 elections, the Republicans lost their remaining two State House seats, a first in 160 years in Greenwich. In the recent municipal election, longtime stalwart Fred Camillo won a resounding reelection with 60% of the vote. However, the winning vote for Republican BET was reduced to a mere 51%.
We believe, if the Republican party has any hopes of winning elections going forward, the current direction of the RTC needs to be changed. At approximately 30% of the town electorate, Republicans need to come together and support the fundamental principles of conservatism, the same principles that have created this attractive, safe, and welcoming community. Lack of focus on important issues and in-fighting are a distraction to the real issues of the party and are counter to winning elections. The job of the Republican Town Committee is to develop and select strong candidates and help them to win elections. That will be our focus as RTC Members.
We ask for your support on March 5th at Riverside School. Absentee ballots are available for those unable to vote in person. Please feel free to contact any of us, the endorsed candidates for the Republican Party in District 5.
Jerry Cincotta
Andy Duus
Michael Hahn
Marc Johnson
Paul Olmsted