Republican Steve Obsitnik Friday afternoon easily won the GOP endorsement in Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District setting up a November general election match-up against Democrat Jim Himes. Obsitnik received more than 70 percent of the delegate support. His closest rival Chris Meek secured enough delegate support to qualify for an August primary, but has not yet announced if he will take it that far. The district covers 17 communities including Bridgeport and Connecticut’s gold coast.
“My grandfather came here from Germany in 1928 not looking for healthcare, or welfare, but opportunity,” said Obsitnik. “The Washington agenda continues to threaten the opportunities that made our nation great. All Americans desire and deserve the chance to pursue their own dreams and to earn success and happiness in that pursuit.”
Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst gave the nominating speech. In doing so Herbst cited Congressman Stewart McKinney, a Republican who represented the district prior to Chris Shays. “Perhaps it is destiny more than fate that we place in nomination the name of a man who was nominated for the United Naval Academy by one of the greatest congressmen to ever serve the fourth congressional district–the late Stewart McKinney. Congressman McKinney understood the principle of placing people ahead of politics and focused more on getting the job done, rather than the politics of inaction. Steve Obsitnik embodies these same principles. I firmly believe that Congressman McKinney would be proud to now see the naval cadet he nominated for service 27 years ago seeking his party’s nomination for another tour of duty representing us in the United States Congress.”
Obsitnik, who kicked off his congressional campaign in Bridgeport, said: “Jim Himes hasn’t represented this district in Washington. Rather, he has been Washington’s Representative in our district. Washington and Jim Himes have let us down: Three times more people are leaving the workforce than are getting jobs; we see higher costs for gas and food; our government debt is at $16 trillion; and Washington has not passed a budget for over 1,000 days. In the Navy we have a name for this lack of leadership. It is called dereliction of duty.”
More on Obsitnik here.
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