Easton First Selectman Tom Herrmann today endorsed State Senator Dan Debicella for Congress in Connecticut’s Fourth Congressional District.
“We need a Congressman who will represent the interests of Fairfield County, not mindlessly promote a partisan agenda,” said Herrmann. “Dan Debicella and I share a commitment to small government and free enterprise—one that stands in stark contrast to Jim Himes’s rubber stamp support for big government and unprecedented levels of debt.”
“Voters will have a clear choice between candidates this November,” Herrmann continued. “Jim Himes believes the answer to the nation’s problems is more government—and has proven that by voting with Nancy Pelosi 95% of the time. By contrast, Dan Debicella has common-sense solutions that will create jobs, control spending, and reduce the federal deficit.”
Currently in his second term as First Selectman of Easton, Herrmann was re-elected in November with 72% of the vote. He continues a successful business career, having served in leadership positions at a number of local companies, including Locke Manufacturing, Bryce Office Systems, and at present, Stanwich Partners of Wilton, a private equity investment firm. Until recently, he was a candidate for Congress in the Fourth Congressional District, competing with Debicella for the Republican nomination.
“The most important goal for Republicans is to nominate a candidate with the right message, resources, and support to defeat Jim Himes,” said Herrmann. “The stakes for our district and our nation are too high to do otherwise. The Pelosi agenda, promoted by Jim Himes, has resulted in 10% unemployment, a $1.4 trillion deficit, and a continued waning of American credibility abroad. For all of these reasons, I encourage Republicans to join me in supporting Dan Debicella for Congress.”
Debicella is a second-term Republican State Senator representing the eastern part of Fairfield County, including Shelton, Stratford, Monroe, and Seymour. He grew up in Bridgeport where his father was a police officer and his mother was a secretary. He was the first in his family to go to college full time, attending the Wharton School and receiving his MBA from Harvard Business School. He has spent most of his career in business, having worked for management consulting firm McKinsey in Stamford, as Director of Strategy at PepsiCo in Purchase, NY, and currently as Assistant Vice President of Marketing at The Hartford Financial Services.
In the State Senate, Debicella has served as the lead Republican on the budget-writing Appropriations Committee. He recently co-authored a budget proposal that shrank the size of Connecticut government by 5% through combining or eliminating agencies, privatizing social services, and resetting program spending to 2007 levels. Debicella also led the fight against the budget that ultimately passed, which raised taxes by $1 billion and borrowed $1 billion to balance the budget.
Debicella received the Republican nomination for Congress at the May 21st convention, where he received 77% of the delegate vote. He may face a primary on August 10th, depending on the outcome of current petition efforts by other candidates.
“Fairfield County is fortunate to have leaders such as Tom Herrmann,” said Debicella. “His continued commitment to responsible government and pro-growth policies benefit not only the people of Easton, but all of Fairfield County.”
The Fourth Congressional District comprises most of Fairfield County, including seventeen towns from Greenwich in the west, to Shelton in the east, and Ridgefield in the north. The seat was held by Congressman Christopher Shays from 1987-2009.
