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GOP candidate withdraws from 140th state rep race

June 5, 2014
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Mark Chapman
Republican Roger Gisanga has dropped out of the state representative race in the 140th District.
Republican Roger Gisanga has dropped out of the state representative race in the 140th District.

NORWALK, Conn. – Norwalk Republicans are now without a serious candidate for General Assembly in two districts.

Roger Gisanga, the Congolese immigrant who announced just weeks ago that he would challenge for the 140th District seat held by four-term incumbent Democrat Bruce Morris, has withdrawn, according to the Norwalk Republican Town Committee.

A press release from the RTC late Thursday announced, “It is with regret that the Norwalk RTC announced that our candidate for the 140th District House seat has decided to withdraw his candidacy.”

RTC Chairman Peter Torrano said the committee will continue seeking a candidate to fill the spot, along with a candidate for the 137th District. The RTC announced Art Scialabba as its candidate at the nominating convention May 22, but termed the former RTC chief a “placeholder.”

According to the release, Gisanga “will remain involved with the Norwalk Republican Party, but due to personal reasons cannot dedicate the time necessary for a grueling campaign and, in the event his campaign is successful, to dedicate himself to a minimum of two years serving his constituents in Hartford.”

The release was signed by Torrano and District B Chairman Harold Bonnet.

Morris may face a primary challenge from fellow Democrat Warren Peña, who is in the process of gathering petition signatures for a spot on the ballot. Morris defeated Peña for the Democratic Town Committee nomination by a 222-99 vote on May 20.

 

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Comments

6 responses to “GOP candidate withdraws from 140th state rep race”

  1. John Hamlin

    This is too bad — a shame to have candidates for public office run unopposed.

  2. Taxpayer Fatigue

    It’s part of the republican strategy to suppress voter turnout in District B so as not to affect other races. They always announce candidates and then they always withdraw from District B – every time!

  3. Peter Torrano

    Taxpayer Fatigue,

    Your statement is an assumption, and not a correct one. If we as Republicans can run a candidate in District B, we will. If you are truly a “fatigued taxpayer” as so many of us are, we welcome you joining us and throwing your hat in the ring. If you have ideas on how to cut spending state-wide, and reduce local taxes as a result, then run with us. If you know a way to change the onerous ESC formula handed to our city by the state democrats, assisted in no small part by our local Democrat representatives and senator, then run with us. But if you are more interested in complaining about our plight, and not so interested in helping to fix it, then run with another party. Either way, you will have more impact than just tapping on your keyboard.

  4. Mr. Ludlow

    The local Republican Club won’t be able to attract enough candidates until it stops (i) eating its young, (ii) driving off its old and (iii) relying upon [self-edited adjectives] politicos like Art Scialabba (sorry for mixing metaphors, but NoN comment policy prohibited taking the wild animal visual where it would naturally go when talking about the former GOP Burgermeister Meisterburger).
    Aspiring Republican office holders know that what happened to Karen Doyle Lyons can happen to them. Service and distinction don’t matter if you’re not a part of the club. But if you’re in the center of controversy (like Jack Chiaramonte two years ago), but you’re liked by the bosses, you get support
    The one saving grace is that at least they took Nancy Reagan’s advice and just said “No” to Fred “Flip” Wilms. But I hardly think that a recruitment poster with a red line over his image will attract the types of candidates true local Republicans will support and independent and Democrat voters will choose in an election.
    There is no consistency to who the GOP will support and who will get dumped. Until they figure out what they believe in, they will have a shortage of qualified candidates.

  5. EveT

    @Taxpayer, Please explain “republican strategy to suppress voter turnout in District B so as not to affect other races.” What does that mean, and how does it work? I don’t see how having a Republican candidate running suppresses voter turnout, so you must be referring to something else.

  6. Peter Torrano

    EveT,

    What Taxpayer means is that by not running a candidate from any party, the voters from the other party will not have a reason to come out to vote and therefore essentially suppress votes against another city-wide or state or national candidate that they may have otherwise have voted for. We will not subscribe to that tactic. I am confident we will have a candidate for the 140th. Unfortunately I am not at liberty to say why Mr. Gisenga dropped out, but I can assure you it was for valid personal reasons.

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