Barkhamsted RTC Chair Seconds the Nomination for Candidate Jim Griffin (CT-1)

The State Republican Party held the Congressional First District Convention Monday evening via conference call due to the COVID19 restrictions state and nationwide. Two candidates were presented for the nomination. BRTC Chair Juliana Simone and her two fellow delegates all supported Jim Griffin. Here is the seconding speech Simone gave to the 173 delegates participating online:

Seconding Nomination for Jim Griffin for First Congressional:

“In the sixteen years I’ve been a member of the Barkhamsted Republican Town Committee, we’ve seen a lot of First Congressional candidates come and go every two years trying to take out the incumbent John Larson. We’ve tried men, women, small business owners, investment brokers, engineers, office workers – all kinds of people we thought would have the right appeal to put a Republican in the First Congressional seat. Except one. A candidate who actually has worked in Washington, D.C. and has first hand experience working there. It’s one thing to want to work there, it’s another to actually have worked there. Jim Griffin has worked for U.S. Senator Richard Luger and in the Reagan administration working in the Office of Management and Budget and has been a member of both political parties, smartly switching to the Republican Party years ago as he saw the Democrat Party become nothing like he remembered it to be.

Born and raised in Bristol, an Eagle Scout, a graduate of West Point, a Lieutenant Colonel who served active duty for seven years and then a member of the National Guard, he went on to earn a Masters Degree from Georgetown and took some extra courses in economics at John Hopkins. He took up the cause to save the famed Hartford Colt Building from being turned into apartments and is now working on making it a national landmark and museum as another attraction for people to come visit our state of Connecticut. I’m proud to second the nomination of Jim Griffin.”

The State Central member who nominated Jim Griffin, Joe Hoxha, made important comments in his speech about Jim’s expertise in foreign policy due to his lengthy service in government work and in the military.

“Hello, everyone my name is Joe Hoxha. I am one of the state central members from the 31st. I am here today to nominate Bristol native James L. Griffin, or better known as Jim Griffin, for United States Congress in the First Congressional district. Jim has had a distinguished career, starting from his time as a West Point grad to his time in the United States Senate. Above all else what stood out the most to me about Jim was his very unique foreign policy experience, something that a Congressman must be well versed in. Jim traveled  to the Balkans in the late 90’s on several peace keeping missions during a time when there was bitter conflict and devastation going on. His efforts culminated in him being a part of the Rambouillet Conference, that resulted in peace between the warring factions in the former Yugoslavia, that ultimately saw an end to Europe’s last dictator, Slobodan Milosevic. He received for his efforts various accolades by the United States government including the Department of State and Defense and from the governments of other NATO member countries. And for this, Jim is my choice and hopefully yours for Congress here in the First Congressional District.”

Challenger Mary Fay won the convention 59% to 43%. Though the math doesn’t quite add up, Fay won by a majority, but one not large enough to prevent a primary by Griffin.

Things that helped her win apparently were an eblast email sent out by a former State Party Chair asking delegates to cast their votes for Fay soon before the convention. For anyone not paying attention to details about the candidates, or who just accept marching orders, this was enough. She apparently made more calls to delegates than Griffin, but he said he was unable to get the delegate list with phone numbers until just before the 7^th.

Former State Senator Joe Markley nominated Fay. He basically said he liked her and she was someone with energy and intelligence who promised to do a lot of doors. The person who was supposed to second her couldn’t turn on his microphone or had some other glitch that kept his nomination out of the convention. The Chair asked if anyone else would second Fay, but no one volunteered. A female delegate was addressed but she said this was a mistake and she must have hit a wrong prompt, and had nothing prepared to say. Only one person said they would second her in a chat window, but that was either not seen or recognized as it was not acknowledged. A technical second of her nomination according to rules had to be made to proceed without a speech.

In her acceptance address, Fay took some time to chime in noting technical issues, but mentioned her family, thanked those she spoke to and who voted for her, and that she has lived in other states but always maintained a home in West Hartford even while not in Connecticut. In regards to Washington D.C., she mentioned she was invited through her connections to take a bus down to meet President Trump and Larry Kudlow. Fay lost her stay-at-home job in January of this year as Executive Director and sole employee with the state’s Connecticut Retirement Security Authority program, due to lack of funds for her $175,000 a year salary. The quasi-public agency was not a popular idea with the majority of state legislators at the time of its creation in 2016, but the bill squeaked by. https://www.courant.com/politics/hc-pol-separation-agreement-retirement-authority-20200107-zs5wpq5ijbdabem6zwveqibuke-story.html

Fay has worked in the financial field for thirty years. She is also a member of the West Hartford Town Council as was former First Congressional candidate Joe Visconti who ran for this office in 2008. In 2018 she ran unsuccessfully for State Representative against Jillian Gilchrest (D-18) receiving 28% of the vote to Gilchrest’s 72%. A graduate of Skidmore College and Rennsselaer Polytechnic Institute, she lives with her wife and daughter and serves as an appointee on the West Hartford Library Board.   

The 43% won by candidate Jim Griffin last night is a considerable number, and certainly enough to primary. With his experience in Washington and foreign affairs, we are glad to be informed today by Griffin directly that he is planning to primary. Let the people decide.