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After a nail-biting first ballot, with all three Republican candidates for Secretary of the State receiving less than 50 percent of the vote, Dominic Rapini gained the nomination in the second ballot, with 50.25 percent of the vote over Brock Weber of Bristol and State Rep. Terrie Wood of Darien.
As Rapini addressed the jubilant crowd, he said he would bring in new voters to the Republican party..
“My number one priority is going to be the incredible Americans of our Hispanic community, because they are our brothers and sisters. They see our common values of God, country, family, and freedom. They are Republicans and they don’t know it yet. We’re gonna extend that invitation,” said Rapini.
He said if the party embraces its differences, it can achieve success in the November elections against Democrats
“When we stand together and unite as Republicans with common ideals… there’s nothing that we can’t accomplish.”
Weber won 31.32 percent of the vote and Wood won 18.34 percent. Since both received more than 15 percent of the vote, they can primary without needing to submit petitions to the Secretary of State by June 7.
Mary Fay, a financial executive from West Hartford, also won the Republican nomination for Office of the State Comptroller after her opponent, Patrick Rowland of East Haven, withdrew his candidacy.
“Thank you to my opponent. I accept your help,” Fay said to Rowland at the convention. “If you want to get on team Fay, you’re more than welcome.”
Fay said she will work to make Connecticut a state that will stand prouder than ever, not plagued by financial corruption.
Fay pictured a state with “a strong economy and an even stronger balance sheet, standing on its own two feet without the need for federal handouts.”
Fay previously lost elections for Connecticut House of Representatives in 2018 and U.S. House in 2020.
Dennis Swanton of West Hartford endorsed Fay and said that she is ready to represent Connecticut with her conservative, Republican values. In her acceptance speech, Fay thanked her wife, Mary Smith, for her support.
Editor’s note: This story was edited to reflect that a 15% threshold the in the convention automatically qualifies a candidate for a primary