Two Female Republicans to Vie for State House Seats

The Republican Town Committee nominated two women Tuesday night to challenge the Middletown’s General Assembly seats in November’s general election.

Two-term common councilwoman received her party’s nod to face off against two-term Democratic state for the 100th Congressional District. Minority Leader Councilman Phil Pessina gave an impassioned speech in support of the Middletown native and Woodrow Wilson High School graduate — before introducing her to those gathered.

, who ran unsuccessfully in November for the Middletown Board of Education, was unanimously chosen to run against longtime Democratic in the 33rd District. Grippo, a longtime resident and mother of two children, was absent from the meeting, caring for “a house full of sick people,” according to RTC Chair William Wilson.

But, Wilson said, Grippo had already garnered support from her family to help her campaign.

Former Republican , treasurer of the RTC, offered his candidacy to those gathered for registrar of voters, citing many reasons, including countering the presence of former Democratic Town Committee Chair Lisa Santangelo, who works in the registrar’s office. “She’s going to be there. Every place Lisa goes, she’s in charge,” Bauer said.

After her husband, attorney Stephen T. Gionfriddo, spoke on her behalf, Janice Gionfriddo garnered her party’s nomination for registrar of voters, 34 to 9.

Kleckowski received one dissenting vote from former Councilman , who lost November’s election, because he objected to the “nominating committee procedure.”

She offered many facets of her platform to some 43 members in the audience, including implementing a cap on the gas tax, halting projects like the New Britain Busway, eliminating $15 million to Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun in tax credits, promote private purchases of hospitals, repealing the Dream Act (allows illegal residents to attend colleges and pay in-state tuition), implementing a new law for boards of education to be a separate taxing district, reinstating the death penalty, repealing the transvestite/transsexual bathroom bill; eliminating same-day election registration; and disallowing government votes after midnight and holding legislative public hearings at night.

After last November's general election, Kleckowski won just , necessitating a recount, in which Kleckowski won with 15 more votes.

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In March, Kleckowski spoke out against then Superintendent of Schools Michael Frechette, saying he should have been fired because of his ineffective management and poor administrative performance.  

, beginning in 2003, as a Democrat on the Planning and Zoning Commission before her yearlong campaign to unseat the Democratic chair led her to switch parties and run for council as a member of the GOP.

Lesser is serving his second term for the residents of Durham, Middlefield, Rockfall and Middletown.

Serra has been representing Middletown since 1992.

The city House districts will fall from the current four to two in January 2013 when the of Reps. Gail Hamm (D-34th) and Christie Carpino (R-32nd) districts take effect.

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