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Themis Klarides is plainspoken, socially moderate, fiscally conservative and has the requisite experience and broad appeal to defeat Democratic incumbent Richard Blumenthal in November. But first, she must secure her party’s nomination. Her main opponent in the race is Leora Levy.
Ms Levy, a longtime Republican contributor, is the embodiment of a one dimensional candidate. She relies exclusively on repeating national talking points, while offering few if any original policy proposals and her depth of understanding on important issues appears shallow at best. Locally, Ms Levy all but ignored her local municipal candidates last November and has a history of showing little or no interest in support for local candidates.
On the campaign trail, Ms Levy often refers to herself as a crusader for “freedom and liberty”. Her campaign rhetoric resembles a throwback to the McCarthy era of the 1950’s. In her skewed worldview, Democrats are Communists and Republicans who disagree with her are RINO’s, or at best, Leftist Democrats. She has publicly referred to Ms Klarides as “the next Liz Cheney” and as “un-American”. One thing she is correct about, is that like Liz Cheney, Themis Klarides has experience, integrity, stands up for what is right and is a lifelong Republican.
Ms Levy has also, inexplicably embraced the local, far-right group “Greenwich Patriots”. This is the same group that compared the pandemic era in Connecticut to living in Nazi Germany, and has made references to the infamous Nazi “Brown Shirts” of that era. It is mind boggling that Ms Levy, who is Jewish, would actually allow herself to be associated with a fringe group like this.
Ms Klarides has been consistent with regard to her positions on key issues. She has always advocated for fiscally responsible positions, and has been a longtime supporter of women’s reproductive rights. Ms Klarides is an advocate for effective gun control measures in CT, while also being a longtime registered gun owner, herself. In sharp contrast, Ms Levy’s positions have changed radically from pro-choice to aggressively pro-life and virulently anti-Trump to all-in pro-Trump.
In 2016, she famously wrote in a Greenwich Time Op-Ed that then candidate Donald Trump “has turned the Republican primary process into a circus for his own purposes and his own aggrandizement. He is vulgar, ill-mannered and disparages those whom he cannot intimidate. His modus operandi is to try to intimidate people then call them names and calumniate about them and then if those tactics do not work, to sue them. That is how he has run his businesses and that is how he is running his campaign.” Shockingly, once President Trump nominated her to be Ambassador to Chile (a position the Senate never confirmed her for), Ms Levy changed into a MAGA hat wearing election denier, and defended him at every turn.
But this past Monday, Ms Levy pulled perhaps the most despicable move of the early campaign season. Approximately half an hour after Ms Klarides publicly announced the passing of her ninety year old mother, the Levy campaign released blistering attack ads on Ms Klarides, referring to her as a “Democrat in disguise” and proclaiming Ms Levy as the only “principled conservative” in the race. This is beyond the pale and represents reprehensible behavior by a vacuous candidate.
Is this the kind of candidate Connecticut Republicans want representing them in a general election for a seat in the United States Senate?
I am a lifelong Republican, and one who enjoyed a successful term as Chairman of the Greenwich Republican Party. I have great respect for the common sense of Connecticut Republicans, and I urge them to support Themis Klarides in the upcoming August 9th Republican Primary. The alternative is a candidate who now worships at the altar of Donald Trump and supports his universally discredited election theories. Themis is a straight shooter who will stand for what is decent, honest and right. And she is the only candidate who can be trusted to provide pragmatic, moderate and principled Republican leadership that can deliver a Republican victory in November.
Dan Quigley
Greenwich, CT
Quigley is the former RTC Chairman of Greenwich