Ansonia Republicans are looking to make a comeback.
With new terms starting for Ansonia Republican Town Committee board members, the party is making plans to gain new members and get more representation on city boards.
They have a foot in the door, after John Marini became the party’s first member on the Board of Aldermen in a decade this past November.
“I think John Marini is a big motivator,” said Patrick Henri, who was re-elected to vice-chairman of the Republican Town Committee. “I already think his presence has made an impact. And if he was able to do it, we should be able to get more people on.”
Joan Radin was re-elected as the town committee’s chairman, and Cheryl Henri was re-elected as the committee’s treasurer.
Joanne Czeczot was elected for the first time as the committee’s secretary.
“The Ansonia Republican Town Committee is energized and expanding,” said Radin in a statement. “This is a new beginning for Ansonia’s Republicans and for Ansonia itself.”
The town committee has 23 out of 50 slots filled, Henri said.
The local Republican party has its work cut out for it. Only 13 percent of Ansonia’s registered voters are Republican. And even with one Republican on the Board of Aldermen, the party is severely outnumbered in town hall.
But, there’s potential to reach out to unregistered and independent voters. The majority of Ansonia voters are not affiliated with either party.
“We want to grow the party. We are growing the party,” Henri said. “People seem to be a lot more interested in what’s going on in the national scene, and they’re not happy about it. We seem to be be attracting those people.”
And locally, people are upset about a large proposed tax increase, Radin said.
The Ansonia Republican Town Committee is hosting meet and greet nights with candidates for U.S. Senator, Connecticut governor and state officers. Linda McMahon spoke to the committee recently, and Peter Schiff is scheduled to appear on April 16.
Henri said the committee is also looking to team up with town committees from surrounding towns, and to launch a Web site.
The Democratic Town Committee outlined similar goals, after electing a new chairman last month.
