BY PAUL HUGHES
Citizens News
NEW BRITAIN – Republican delegates endorsed Beacon Falls Selectman Gerard “Gerry” Smith for U.S. Senate at the state GOP convention May 13 in New Britain.
The endorsement of Smith came two days after U.S. Sen. Christopher Murphy accepted the uncontested Democratic nomination for a third time Saturday at the state Democratic convention at Mohegan Sun resort and casino in Uncasville.
“We know we have a tough road ahead of us, but I know looking at this crowd you’re ready to go win in November,” said Ben Proto, chairman of the state Republican Party.
The 892 Republican delegates gathered in the Welte Hall Auditorium at Central Connecticut State University endorsed Smith three months after he announced his intention to challenge Murphy.
Unlike Murphy, Smith faced competition for the Republican endorsement – Manchester businessman Matthew Corey who lost to Murphy in 2018, Bristol businessman Robert Krawiecki, and Norwalk community activist John Flynn.
Smith entered the convention as the clear front-runner, and he sewed up the GOP endorsement on the first ballot, securing 610 votes before delegates were given an opportunity to change their votes before the first ballot was gaveled to a close.
The big question was, would any other candidate get the threshold 15% vote to automatically qualify for an August primary for the Republican nomination?
Corey appeared to comfortably qualify for a primary contest based on the 261 votes that he initially received. He would have to lose slightly more than half of his votes to miss the threshold. Krawiecki and Flynn fell far short, receiving 13 and 8 votes, respectively.
In Murphy, Smith, the little known first selectman of a small town of roughly 6,000 people in the Naugatuck Valley, is looking to take on one of the biggest Democratic names in state and national politics.
State Sen. Eric C. Berthel, R-Watertown, a Smith delegate, summed up the steep challenge of defeating Murphy.
“This is going to be uphill every day from now until Election Day,” Berthel said.
A number of delegates who approached a glad-handing Smith outside the convention hall had one basic question: How are you going to beat Murphy?
Smith told the inquiring delegates that he will run on his record as a town official and his business background. He said he is also going to be running on traditional family values, the economy and the rising cost of living, border security, more severely punishing drug trafficking.
Smith said he plans to engage the 169 Republican town committees to get out the Republican vote. In addition, he said believes as a Black candidate that he can also cut into the Democratic advantage in the big cities.
Smith is a four-term first selectman running statewide for the first time. He has been a political maverick in Beacon Falls, having been elected first selectman initially as a Republican in 2011 after switching from unaffiliated status, a petitioning unaffiliated candidate for a second time in 2019, a candidate of the independent Beacon Falls First ticket in 2021 and a Republican again in 2023.
In nominating Smith, state Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, noted that Smith has won a fifth time in a town where only 28% of registered voters are Republicans.
“Let that sink in. That is like being a Yankees’ fan in the middle of Fenway Park and still leaving with a smile,” she said.
Smith is a 62-year old insurance broker who also works in general construction. He also once raced cars and motorcycles and owned a small racing team that competed on a NASCAR regional circuit and featured his son, Jonathan, as its driver.
