Politics & Government
There are two candidates seeking the Republican nomination
Danbury's Botelho endorses Trump's platform as she makes second bid in Fifth Congressional District
By Scott Benjamin
DANBURY – Whatever movie house you go to in the Fifth Congressional District – the Bantam Cinema, the Bank Street Theatre, the Apple Cinemas, Edmond Town Hall or the Loews Theatre – the feature marquee is the same: “Hayes vs. Logan II: The 2016 Teacher of the Year who made an appearance on ‘Ellen.’ vs. the personable, Jimi Hendrix guitarist.”
However, Michelle Botelho, who has lived in Danbury for 24 years, says that fellow Republican George Logan of Meriden deserves a single-digit rating from Rotten Tomatoes on his performance in the 2022 election in the district.
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“Connecticut usually is not even looked at [by Republican national organizations.] He was on Fox News,” she said in an interview with Patch.com. “It was a race to be flipped. He should have won. [Hayes] did so poorly. [Logan] should have won. He didn’t.”
Jahana Hayes a native of Waterbury who now lives in Wolcott, is the Democratic incumbent. She prevailed by about 2,000 votes in her bid for a third term in a district in which no representative has served more than six years since the 1972 election. It was the closest race in the district since Democratic incumbent Jim Maloney of Danbury won in a photo-finish over Republican Mark Nielsen of Danbury in 1998.
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Logan lowered Hayes's pluralities in the five cities but fell short of his goals in the rural towns and suburbs, some of which have become more Democratic over the recent years. Hayes garnered victories in 21 municipalities. In 2012, while running for an open seat, Democrat Elizabeth Esty of Cheshire won just 10 municipalities in the first of her three victories in the district.
Botelho, a Christian Conservative, campaigned for the Republican nomination two years ago, spoke to a handful of town committees but did not attend the convention in New Britain.
She said that the frequent comment from Republican Town Committee leaders was: “‘Of course you can come and speak, but we’ve endorsed George Logan.’ “
Botelho laments, “That was the mentality going in. I was sort of pushed aside.”
Botelho, who works as a para-legal, is again making the rounds at some of the Republican Town Committee meetings in the 41-municipality district which covers much of the western part of the state from Newtown to Torrington to Salisbury.
In contrast to Logan, who told Patch.com on February 3 that he has not made an endorsement in the Republican presidential primary campaign, Botelho has embraced the policies of Republican former President Donald Trump.
“He did a lot of what he said he was going to do,” Botelho said of Trump’s four years in office.
Trump easily captured the Republican presidential primary in Connecticut in 2016. However, he did not carry the state or the Fifth Congressional District in either the 2016 or 2020 general election. He is the apparent GOP nominee for 2024.
In an e-mail interview, Republican State Central Committee member John Morris of Litchfield, who has served on that body since 1991, stated, “There is much enthusiasm for the policies of President Trump. Whether it be his border and economic policies that had illegal immigration under control and gave us low inflation. His policies that made America energy independent and his ability to control Iran and the Abraham Accords that was a major peace plan for the Middle East. People appreciate what he was able to accomplish. On the other hand, there is little enthusiasm for his personality.”
On economic policy, Botelho said she endorses Trump’s call for a 10 percent trade tariff.
“My goal is to get manufacturing back to this country,” she said. “I think other countries should pay their fair share. I know some people think that they will be hurt. I don’t this so. I think we have a lot of capability. I think that we will benefit.”
Botelho, who is married and has two children in their 20s, has been endorsed by Preferred Utilities Manufacturing Corporation in Danbury, Danbury Competition Engines and Analytical & Combustion Systems in Bethel.
Gavin Wax in the DC Enquirer wrote in February, “Botelho is part of the new breed of conservative women rising up to save their children's future by embracing public service. She has become a leading parental rights advocate in her state, having worked as a paralegal and educator for years.”
Botelho said Trump “did a lot to expose human trafficking at the border. I’m a big advocate to see that be abolished. We are hurting the most vulnerable - women and children.”
She also has been endorsed by the New York Young Republicans Club.
Botelho said that if she could annex eight to nine town committee endorsements it would probably be enough to get 15 percent of the delegate vote to automatically qualify for the August 13 primary.
Should there be debates before the nominating convention in May?
Botelho said, “I would love that.”
Morris has said that the Republican National Congressional Committee is primed to make an even bigger investment in Logan than it did two years ago when it established a cultural center in New Britain. In recent weeks the NRCC has distributed a succession of news releases criticizing Hayes’ voting record and reportedly is considering establishing a headquarters in Farmington.
In a more recent e-mail interview with Patch.com, Morris stated, “I like Michelle Botelho and hope she stays active in the Republican Party. She has not been able to raise any money, is unknown and has little or no support.” Lisa Hagen of CT Mirror has reported that through 2023 Botelho had raised $6,500.
Morris added, “I would hope she would join other Republican leaders across the Fifth District and get behind George Logan's campaign. George raised a half a million dollars so far has received the endorsement of over 200 Republican leaders throughout the Fifth District with more on the way, is known, [and] has support from the Republican leadership in Washington.”
Botelho, who did neighborhood canvassing for Danbury Republican former Mayor Dean Esposito last year, said she would not work on Logan’s campaign if he is nominated.
“I don’t agree with him at all,” she said of the former two-term state senator. “To me, George Logan is social-justice oriented, just like Jahana Hayes.”
“I think Republicans have to stop being nuanced,” Botelho remarked. “I think that they are doing too much of ‘to get along, you have to go along’. Republican conservative voters feel disenfranchised.”
Botelho said that Logan “co-sponsored a police-accountability bill in 2019” that even Republicans said would have been “bad for police.”
She also said that Logan supported legislation that would have abolished the Electoral College.
Patch.com sent an e-mail message to Logan’s campaign and one to Hayes’ campaign regarding possible comment for this story. Apparently, there was no reply from either campaign.
On fiscal policy, Botelho said that she supports the U.S. House Freedom Caucus’ efforts to reduce the debt limit. Bob MacGuffie, of Fairfield who is seeking the Republican nomination in the Fourth District, has said that the federal debt has grown from $9 trillion in 2009 during the Great Recession to a current figure of about $33 trillion.
Botelho commented, “That is something that we should not be raising. In business, you can’t run a deficit. You lose your business.”
She has pledged to support a Balanced Budget Amendment.
Botelho said that she supports extending the 2017 Trump tax cuts beyond the current December 2025 expiration date.
“There should be tax cuts,” she explained. “People need help.”
Resources:
Interview with Michelle Botelho, Patch.com, Saturday, February 10, 2024.
Phone Interview with Michelle Botelho, Patch.com, Thursday, February 22, 2024.
E-mail interview with John Morris, Patch.com, Monday, February 26, 2024.
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