Submitted by Michael Hahn, Riverside
I am a lifelong Republican who was involved in our Party for many years. I was the co-founder of the CT Young Republicans Fairfield County Chapter, the Vice Chair of the CT GOP for the Fourth Congressional District and helped run successful Republican State Senate and Assembly campaigns in Bridgeport, Trumbull and Fairfield. I know we need a successful Republican Party here in Greenwich and beyond for our town to continue to succeed.
That’s why I am so upset about the failure of the current Greenwich Republican Town Committee to win elections and build trust in the community. I know thousands of other faithful Republicans in our town feel the same way. The leadership of this “new RTC,” who swooped in last January, defeating long-standing members, guaranteed a “Red Wave” in November. Instead, they delivered the single worst failure of the Greenwich Republican Party in over 100 years.
The current RTC Leadership and Chair Beth MacGillivray have failed to acknowledge, much less confront these facts:
- The Greenwich Republicans Town Committee lost more state house seats on November 8th 2022 than they did on any night in the last 100 years.
- The RTC lost the 149th state House seat that ten years ago went for Republican Livvy Floren by 28 points.
- The RTC lost the 151 st state House seat that has never been won by a Democrat, ever, in history. Fred Camillo won it by over 12 percentage points in 2018 when Donald Trump was already president.
- Current Chair Beth MacGillivray replaced a chairman who had just won an election for the 149 th
House seat with the exact same candidate. The only difference was: Beth and the new RTC.
In her recent defensive letter to the editor, MacGillavry said she doesn’t have a messaging problem.
Normally after taking an electoral loss—or failing in private business—as our party just did, the chairman would step down. However, MacGillivray says they are doubling down.
If we continue down this path, this is the result that the new RTC will bring:
-A Democrat BET in 2023
-A Democrat First Selectman in 2023
-Democrats will control all building committees moving forward. Forget $80M new building construction; $120m would be the new number.
-A mill rate of 20 in Greenwich by 2030 thanks to Democratic policies
-All four members of the Greenwich delegation to Hartford will be Democrats by 2028—or 2024 if Donald Trump is the GOP nominee.
We need strong GOP leadership in this town to win elections and govern. We agree about exposing the issues in the Greenwich Public Schools of liberal bias. My daughter and my family suffered because of it.
We agree about opposition to the overly strict COVID restrictions and mandates. Our students and small business owners have suffered. We need to stand by principles and common sense. What I take offense to is the brash “It’s our way or the highway” and the new RTC’s inability to produce electoral results.
When you assume power on promises and totally fail to deliver, you must take responsibility. That’s what Chair MacGillavry and the RTC leadership has done. It’s time for them to step aside and pass the torch within the party. It’s for the good of our town.
Michael E. Hahn
Riverside