DeNardis Wins GOP Nod

Lesley DeNardis won her party’s endorsement to challenge 16-term incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro this November with a promise to promote moving decisions about public school curriculums and abortion access from the federal to the state government.

The endorsement came at a Republican U.S. Third Congressional District convention held Thursday night at Hamden’s Devonshire Hall. One hundred supporters turned out to vote for DeNardis, an at-large Legislative Council representative for Hamden and daughter of late U.S. Rep. Larry DeNardis.

DeNardis, who had no party opposition, vowed to kick DeLauro and ​“attempts to federalize everything” out of the House.

“There are certain parallels between the Carter years and Reagan and now. I don’t know if you noticed,” the former college professor said to her audience upon accepting the unanimous party endorsement, citing the transitional election year (1980) when her father won the Third District seat, the only Republican to serve a term in it since 1958.

“We have a remarkable ability, each generation, to set a new course and to right the ship of state,” she reflected. ​“The destructive economic policies and low morale of that time period were followed by a great restoration of faith in American ingenuity to weather any storm and come out of it renewed and reinvigorated a more free and prosperous people.”

The Third District has the highest poverty rates in Connecticut, she noted. A different approach is needed, she said, to pull people up. 

In an 18-minute speech, DeNardis argued in favor of reining in federal spending, ​“always backing the blue” in response to growing crime, amping up border security, and supporting state legislation on schools as ways to make America ​“safe once again.”

Echoing other Republican candidates across the country this year, she rejected ​“social emotional” learning curricula and teaching ​“extremist material” in schools.

‘I want our children to be taught about the genius of our founders, and I want them to take rightful pride in the glorious experiment of American democracy,” DeNardis said.

“Let the states decide how they handle the most important endeavors that affect their populations.”

She didn’t mention abortion in the speech. Afterwards she was asked about the draft U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, a position DeLauro has criticized.

“I think it’s going to be left up to states, as it should be,” DeNardis said. She declined further comment on the issue.

DeLauro is emphasizing her pro-choice stand since the leak of the draft decision on Roe. She issued a statement calling on Congress to pass The Women’s Health Protection Act, which seeks to federally protect access to abortion services for all Americans by defining abortion as interstate commerce. (Read more about that here.)

John Carlson, New Haven’s Republican town chair, said DeNardis ​“lets us know who she is and what she stands for.”

“DeLauro has not represented New Haven in 20, 30 years. She turned her back on us,” he said, citing DeLauro’s support back in 2020 of a local decision to remove the statue of Christopher Columbus in Wooster Square Park.

Carlson said he hopes DeNardis makes it to Congress to pursue lowering taxes and fighting inflation, ​“securing our borders,” and battling the opioid crisis. 

As for abortion, he said: ​“If Roe v. Wade is overturned, all it does is turn the power to the state where it belongs. Does anyone think Connecticut is going to ban abortion?”

Student Dominic Lombardi drove out from Orange to see DeNardis nominated.

“As an American and a Christian who believes in our founding documents and principles, she’s just so far off it’s not even funny,” Lombardi asserted about DeLauro, who currently chairs the House Appropriation Committee.

“The biggest issue is the border,” he said. ​“We have to build a wall, not just fences like Obama wanted.”

“Our safety is a huge issue. Crime is out of control everywhere,” he said, asserting that ​“people have been spreading ​‘defund the police everywhere’ without really thinking of the consequences of what that would entail.”

Hamden Republican Town Committee Chairman Andrew Tammaro praised DeNardis’ focus on financial responsibility, individual liberty, economic development and job growth.

“They transcend, whether you’re campaigning to people in Hamden or any of the other areas,” he said. 

Connecticut House of Representatives Minority Leader Vincent Candelora and Derby Mayor Richard Dziekan addressed the crowd Thursday night prior to the vote.

Dziekan, who used to serve as a Hamden cop, said of DeNardis: ​“She’s not gonna be a yes vote for that administration that’s up there right now. She’s gonna be her own person.”

Candelora lauded DeNardis’ tenure on Hamden’s Planning and Zoning Commission, Board of Education, and Legislative Council. 

He recalled meeting DeNardis for the first time when she ran for state representative in the 88th district.

“She wasn’t successful in the race, but she was successful in putting out what we all stand here today for — and that is the mainstream values of what government is supposed to be about: Connected to the people.”