Primary: Republican Tom Foley's Final Push

Former diplomat Tom Foley says he expects a low voter turnout for Tuesday’s Republican gubernatorial primary, but he’ll defeat challenger John McKinney anyway — paving the way for a rematch against Democrat Dannel Malloy in the November gubernatorial election.

The Greenwich resident, who was endorsed at the Republican state convention in May, is facing McKinney, an eight-term state senator from Newtown, at the polls on Aug. 12. Foley, who lost to Malloy in the 2010 election by about 6,400 votes, continues to traverse the Nutmeg state drumming up support for his campaign.

The men faced off in their last televised debate at WTNH in New Haven on Sunday. The men remain at odds on several issues, key among them — who’s most qualified to lead Connecticut.

In an interview with WTIC, Foley said, “I take this race very seriously especially when there’s low turnout in primaries. I think I’m gonna win by a comfortable margin.” Foley said he expects about 100,000 registered Republicans to cast their ballots on tuesday.

Foley said that since his 2010 defeat, “I have been engaged in political dialog…I got to know a lot people around the state. I got a lot of friends around the state and they’re still with me. I started this over a year ago, traveling around the state.”

Among Foley’s friends — 11 current first selectmen and mayors from around the state; 42 local Republican Town Committee chairs and vice-chairs, and 10 local Republican Town Committees, as well as several state representatives and senators. And Foley has another key ally — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who’s chair of the Republican Governors Association. Christie came to Greenwich for a series of July 21 fund-raisers.

Foley says his business background — since 1985 he’s run NTC Group, a private investment company — will serve him well in trying to thaw the state’s economic climate. “I come from the private section and have had a large business for 35 years. I’m experienced in running lean organizations,” Foley told WTIC. From 2003-2004, Foley was sent by the Bush administration to help restore the economy in Iraq.

Foley has said the state needs tax reform and that he would hold state spending flat for two years. “Under Malloy, spending has gone up 4 ½ percent a year and he keeps talking about cuts,” Foley said.

Foley said he supports a half-percent cut in the state’s 6.35 percent sales tax thath he believes would stimulate consumer spending and small business job creation. He said he would keep state spending flat by renegotiating benefits contracts with state employee unions to reduce the cost of health benefits for state employees, retirees and for Medicaid recipients. “I’m not talking about changing benefits, but lowering the costs of delivering these services … we can save a lot of money,” Foley said in the WTIC interview.

He also has said that the state needs to repeal the business entity tax — an annual $250 levy — would help small business. “This falls hard on small businesses which create the most jobs in the state,” as does the state’s mandatory sick leave law, Foley has said.

Foley said that he doesn’t support the state-mandated Common Core education guidelines.In the Aug. 10 debate, Foley said, “I believe, and I think it is fundamental to the greatness of America, that local control, when it works, is the best option. And for Governor Malloy to come in and mandate teacher evaluations and Common Core assessments on all schools in Connecticut, many of which are some of the best in the country, is a mistake.”

Regarding gun control, Foley said he doesn’t support the legislation Malloy pushed through the legislature following the Sandy Hook School shootings because it doesn’t include provisions for providing mental health care, and imposes too many restrictions for law-abiding gun-owners. He said Sunday that the law doesn’t address the issue of mental health care.

Foley also is opposed to the legalization of recreational marijuana use.

The 62-year-old Foley is a longtime Greenwich resident who’s married to former White House counsel and corporate lawyer Leslie Fahrenkopf. The couple has two-year-old twins, Grace and Reed. He also has a son, Tom Jr., from a previous marriage. He served as ambassador to Ireland from 2006 to 2009.

Polls statewide will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12.

Photo: Tom Foley with NJ Gov. Chris Christie during a July 21 campaign stop in Greenwich. Credit: Barbara Heins.