Gilmer captures GOP nomination in 2nd Congressional District

By Scott Benjamin

After nearly a year of canvassing the district and establishing a potent social media presence, Tom Gilmer easily annexed the Republican nomination in a congressional district that the GOP hasn't captured since 2004.

Gilmer of Madison, a businessman, outpolled decorated military veteran Justin Anderson of East Haddam 234 votes to 50 votes among the delegates at the 80-minute virtual nominating convention in the Second Congressional District.

Gilmer, 29,said with an overwhelming triumph he doesn't expect a primary on August 11 in the 64-municipality district, which Democrat Joe Courtney of Vernon initially captured in 2006.

Gilmer has been attending GOP events and canvassing neighborhoods since last summer and said in a phone interview following his May 11 victory that he is in negotiations with a campaign consultant who has worked in congressional races for 30 years in an effort to further boost his social media output.

He said that he is already garnering contributions from New Mexico, Pennsylvania and California.

"Our Facebook ads are working," said Gilmer, who grew up in Ohio and has been active in politics since age 12.

Anderson was not available for comment.

Gilmer said he laments not having been able to do neighborhood canvassing over the last two months as a result of the pandemic, but believes that activity might resume by September.

He said the voters' chief concerns are taxes, infrastructure improvements and jobs.

Gilmer said he supports the position taken by Larry Kudlow of Redding, the director of the National Economic Council, that the federal government should wait until at least early June before taking action on any further stimulus.

He said he agrees with Kudlow that the White House and Congress should review each of the components that have been included in the nearly $3 trillion of stimulus that has been approved since March 27.

On another subject, with a 14.7 percent national unemployment rate, The Wall Street Journal has reported that mortgage lenders are being strained since some homeowners are not able to make payments on time.

The newspaper stated that although mortgages are more secure than they were before the 2007-2008 subprime crisis, the infrastructure of the lending institutions is largely the same.

Gilmer said that poses a problem. He said some families are already choosing between buying groceries, making car payments and fulfilling their mortgage obligations.

On another topic, he said he is "very glad" that the federal Justice Department dropped the charges against Michael Flynn, who was the first national security adviser for Republican President Donald Trump.

"I think it was the right thing to do because there appears to be a potential cover-up from the Obama Administration," Gilmer remarked.

Courtney, who only won by 90 votes when he took the seat 14 years ago, was victorious in all but one municipality in 2018. He has taken at least 60 percent of the vote in each election since 2008.

The district includes the Electric Boat submarine shipyard in Groton, the Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos in the southeast corridor, the University of Connecticut in Storrs, the Quiet Corner in the northeast quadrant and some shoreline towns.