A last-minute state House candidate believes he has enough petition signatures to force a Republican primary in the 50th District, which includes Mansfield, Pomfret and Brooklyn.
Tony Emilio, who will turn 70 on Friday, was urgently recruited by state Republican leaders looking for a challenger to Jadon MacCormack, 23, who, after winning the party’s endorsement, railed against “Pride Month.” He has also suggested that gay people should be put to death.
“We have very opposite views on this issue,” says Emilio. “I believe that God is love. I don’t think he’s vengeful and wants to lynch anybody.”
Emilio, a longtime figure in Pomfret politics, has the full backing of House Republican leadership, which is leading the drive to help him gain the 240 petition signatures needed to qualify for the August 11 primary ballot. They’re due by 4 pm Tuesday.
Although Emilio calls himself a Reagan conservative, House Minority Leader Vin Candelora says where the candidate fits on the political spectrum is less important than the fact that he presents a viable alternative to MacCormack.
“I think in this situation, where we draw the line is at people that are advocating for the government execution of individuals,” says Candelora.
“Jadon MacCormack is not the face of the Republican Party, and as leader… I’m not going to allow him to define us.”
Emilio says he’s well positioned to run for office as a semi-retired small businessman:
“They wanted somebody who’s going to be a good representative of the party. We are semi-retired in a lot of ways. So, I have the time availability.”
