4th DISTRICT: Debicella wins GOP primary, is ready to take on Jim Himes

Dan Debicella said he knew he had won the Republican primary for the 4th District congressional seat when the vote tally for Stamford swung his way big.

“We won big in Shelton. We expected that,” said the state senator from Shelton, who won 81% of his city’s primary votes.

Then his supporters at the Norwalk Inn received the good news of victories in Monroe, Greenwich, New Canaan, Weston and Easton.

But Stamford put him over the top with a 60% victory against his challengers, Rob Merkle of Norwalk and Rick Torres of Bridgeport.

Mr. Debicella won in 15 of the 17 towns in the 4th District, losing only Bridgeport to Mr. Torres and Wilton to Mr. Merkle, securing the party’s candidacy to run against U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, a first-term Democrat, in the fall election.

Mr. Debicella received 15,906 votes, over 60% of the vote, trouncing Mr. Merkle, who received 6,393 votes (about 24%), and Mr. Torres, who got 4,053 votes (about 15%).

On Wednesday morning following his Aug. 10 primary win, Mr. Debicella was up early doing interviews over the telephone with radio station reporters and launching his campaign against Mr. Himes.

He said he would take only one day off for his wedding anniversary on Saturday.

Main campaign issues

Mr. Debicella promised to make federal spending, the Democrats’ 2009 stimulus bill and replacing the health care reform bill as main issues of his campaign. He described that as a continuation of the campaign that proved successful with voters in the primary.

“The Fairfield County voters want someone who is coming forward with ideas, not someone who is just saying no or is a rubber stamp for the party,” he said.

One idea he will promote is to use the remaining, unspent stimulus money to cut the payroll taxes for Medicare and Social Security. He said he feels the stimulus bill that Rep. Himes voted for was a failure, and only increased the amount of government debt.

Mr. Debicella said his campaign against Mr. Himes would also propose replacing the health care reform bill with an alternative focused on reducing costs and making health insurance more affordable.

“This will be a close election,” Mr. Debicella said. “We’re going to be out there trying to convince people that we have a better way.”

Mr. Debicella, an insurance company executive with a Harvard MBA, spent the last four years as the state senator for the 21st Senatorial District, comprised of all of Shelton, most of Stratford, and parts of Monroe and Seymour.

In Hartford, he had a seat on the Appropriations Committee, where he became a prominent Republican voice on the state budget.

Social issues

On social issues, however, he explained that he is pro-choice on abortion and favors stem cell research. He also supports President Barrack Obama’s decisions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr. Debicella said he decided to run for Congress partly because he felt the country was moving in the wrong direction, but noted he also had a personal reason.

“When I’m 80 years old and looking back on my life, I want to say I made a difference,” he said.

“We wish Dan the best,” said Al Alper, chairman of Mr. Merkle’s campaign. “He ran a good race.”

Mr. Alper noted that Mr. Debicella outspend Mr. Merkle 10 to 1 in the primary, but didn’t win by a 10-to-1 margin.

“I believe that demonstrates that there is an under-represented voice in the 4th Congressional District,” he said. “I look forward to Dan sitting down, understanding what their concerns are that drove them to our campaign, and considering those concerns in his policies as he moves forward.”

Hersam Acorn Newspapers Reporter Justin Reynolds contributed to this story.

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites