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Bob Ward, a revered figure in politics and public service, died Sunday at home in North Branford. Bob, a Republican, served in the state House of Representatives for 22 years. He was his party’s leader in the House for twelve of them. He was the motor vehicle commissioner under Governor M. Jodi Rell and ended his career in government as a state auditor.

Bob entered the thin ranks of the heroic in 2004 when he supported an impeachment inquiry into the corrupt practices of fellow Republican John G. Rowland, then serving his third term as Governor.

Bob, 68, leaves his wife, Anita, four children and eight grandchildren.

This post will be updated.

From the Senate Republican leaders, Kevin Kelly and Paul Formica:

“For more than three decades, Bob worked in a bipartisan and congenial manner to generate common sense public policy solutions to benefit Connecticut families. He loved Connecticut and was dedicated to doing his very best for the people he served. Bob Ward was a role model for all of us as public servants, and our thoughts are with his family and friends today.”

From Vincent Candelora, House Minority Leader, and Bob’s protege and successor in his House seat:

Rep. Candelora Statement on the Passing of Robert M. Ward

HARTFORD—House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora today released the following statement about the passing of Robert M. Ward, former 86th District state representative and a longtime House Republican Leader:

“Bob Ward was a true gentleman and the nicest person you could meet in politics, qualities not always seen in this business today. His impact on our state and the lives of the people in the towns he served is immeasurable, and his passion for introducing others to the value of community service continues to inspire me. Bob never gave up on what was important to him and his values, and that, combined with a wry sense of humor and keen sense of purpose, earned him broad respect during his tenure as the longest-serving House Republican Leader. Bob was not just a mentor, but a friend. I’ll miss him greatly. My thoughts are with Anita, and all of Bob’s family, children and grandchildren.”

The Uniformed Professional Firefighters Association is having none of it. The 4,000 member union wrote to legislative leaders this week expressing its opposition to the proposal to authorize state government to create an unregulated health insurance venture.

Here’s the union’s letter:

The Uniformed Professional Firefighters Association represents 4,000 career Firefighters across Connecticut. As a result of the UPFFA’s most recent Executive Board meeting, we are writing this in opposition to Senate Bill 842 “AN ACT CONCERNING HEALTH INSURANCE AND HEALTH CARE IN CONNECTICUT” and strongly urge you to reject and oppose this measure.

Currently, the UPFFA offers a medical benefit plan to our members through the Northwest Firefighters Trust (NWFFT), administered by and for the Firefighters around the county.  The NWFFT was launched in 2013, bringing fire fighters and their families comprehensive, affordable and sustainable health plans. NWFFT creates a “like risk” pool of Firefighters throughout the United States that provides access to both active and retiree health insurance.

The Northwest Firefighters Trust health benefit funds provide a coordinated approach to group purchasing and contracting with medical, pharmacy and other health networks. As advocates for our union members and their families, we cannot standby and allow this negative preemptive policy to impact our dedicated efforts over the years. More importantly, as non-profit healthcare benefit funds, we bring a unique perspective to this debate on Senate Bill 842.

The UPFFA respectfully and strongly opposes SB 842 and its’ “one size fits all” State run plan and because of the long-term negative impact it will have on our members and the Connecticut marketplace. We have all worked extremely hard over the years to provide our members and their families along with Firefighter retirees the finest healthcare benefits and services.  We are very proud that we built and maintained some of the best Union Sponsored health fund in the United States, that provide members with medical, prescription, dental, vision and other important family benefit programs that our members lives are improved from and are greatly appreciated by our members.

If the legislature chooses to move forward with the bill, at a minimum the UPFFA respectfully requests that substitute language be adopted that will exempt any member or Local Union in good standing with their respective State Association or National Union that has a Union Sponsored Benefit Trust plan from the provisions of SB 842, including, but not limited to, any penalty or tax imposed by the legislation or as a result of not participating in the State Partnership Plan.

Caitlyn Jenner is not the only cosseted candidate who careened off-script this week. Governor Ned Lamont reminded Republican hopefuls why they might have a chance against him next year. Our goofy good shepherd did it again. The Greenwich Democrat made a damaging declaration at the announcement of plans to expand Tweed New Haven Airport.

It was not enough to unveil the $100 million plan to bring a new airline to the small airport. No, Lamont had to ratchet up the moment by adding New Haven is “the most important region of the state.” Millions of Connecticut residents not living within 10 miles of Yale, where Lamont attended graduate school, will dissent. Expect to see the quote in strategically placed ads in the campaign ahead.

Governor Ned Lamont has chosen Mississippi Democrat Travis Brimm to serve as the manager of his 2022 re-election campaign, Daily Ructions has learned. Brimm has received the approval of Ann Huntress Lamont and the governor’s former chief of staff, Ryan Drajewicz, who remains close to the Lamonts.

Brimm is parked at the state Democratic party’s office until the Lamont campaign begins. That may raise some campaign finance issues, but those are for other people to address. Lamont is expected to finance his campaign, as he did with the previous three. Expect no complaints from progressive Democrats about it.

Brimm managed the debate-shy Ben Ray Lujan’s successful 2020 U.S. Senate race in New Mexico. He also worked as director of the Biden North Carolina primary campaign.

Republicans may have a contest for their party’s nomination for governor, though no candidate has announced a bid.

Brimm “loves a good plate of BBQ.”

State Democrats, who have won every office of significance, are wondering why the Lamonts and Drajewicz decided to give a poke in the eye to Connecticut’s political talent and import a campaign manager.

New Britain Republican Brock Weber declared his candidacy for secretary of the state by filing a committee Friday afternoon. Weber has worked as a campaign consultant on a variety of campaigns. He is best known in Republican circles for his association with Peter Lumaj, the Republican nominee for Secretary of the state in 2014.

Weber now works for Erin Stewart, the Republican mayor of New Britain seeking re-election. He also did a stint with the Senate Republican caucus.

And you thought Randy Quaid pondering a bid for governor of California was the oddest political news at the start of the week. Connecticut (and Florida) have a contender for that competitive category. Jennifer Cusato announced in a long email last weekend that she is in the race to become the next chair of the Republican state party committee.

Cusato lives and votes in Florida. Voting records show that last November Cusato cast an in-person ballot in Dunedin, Florida. She was an unsuccessful 2019 candidate for Fairfield’s RTM.

In her rambling announcement, Cusato set out a stall built on vagaries. “We must be consumed with finding solutions. I have always prided myself on being a person of my word and of action.  As your chairman,” she wrote, “I will boldly speak out every time. The members of our party will know they are not alone, and that their party leader is a woman whose heart is with them.”

A candidate usually has solutions, though specifics have been thin on the ground in this odd competition to lead what’s left of the state party organization. If elected, Cusato promises to move to Vernon confront state Representative Michael Winkler over his comments on Asian Americans and racism.

Cusato writes that she has raised money for Republican candidates running in Connecticut and other states.

Ben Proto, a familiar figure in Republican campaign circles, is continuing his campaign for state party chair. Proto sought earlier this year to fill the vacancy created by the abrupt resignation of incumbent J.R. Romano.

In an email to committee members this week, Proto declared he believes in completing what he started and will carry on the campaign for chair that he began in November. The Stratford lawyer pledges leadership that “combines mechanics, message and money as the foundational aspects upon which to build the CTGOP into a strong political force–one that will elect more Republicans and impact the future of our beloved Connecticut.”

Proto, who worked for the state House Republican caucus in the 1990s, was the head of Donald Trump’s 2016 Connecticut campaign after Justin Clark, formerly of West Hartford, joined the national campaign to undermine our democratic allies and embrace dictators. Like every Republican operative in Connecticut, Proto has worked on a long series of losing campaigns. Proto enjoyed one brief shining moment in 2000 when he was an early supporter of John McCain. He supported McCain again in 2008. The late Arizona senator swept the Connecticut presidential primary that year, administering an embarrassing defeat on George W. Bush. We need not speculate on what McCain would think of supporters who became Trump acolytes.

The committee elects a new head in June.

Early Donald Trump enthusiast Jim Campbell today joined the race for leader of Connecticut’s crumbling Republican party organization. Formerly of Greenwich, the Westport Republican hails from the region of the state where the party’s decline has been most dramatic. Campbell made no mention of Trump or his ardent support for the loathsome demagogue in a lengthy email announcement to state central committee members.

The Trump effect has eroded the party’s ranks in the state legislature to rump status. Campbell enjoys the quiet support of prominent Trumpists, national committee members Leora Levy and John Frey. Levy was nominated by Trump to serve as ambassador to Chile. The Senate declined to confirm her. Frey survived a close call in his 2018 re-election bid to the state House of Representatives from Ridgefield. He chose not to seek another term in 2020. His seat was won by a Democrat as anti-Republican fury added to its Connecticut cull.

Campbell has gloried in his support for Trump. It’s memorialized in this cringe-inducing New Yorker article, “How Greenwich Republicans Learned to Love Trump.” Much of the rest of the former Republican bastion has not. Joe Biden won 61% of the tony town’s vote in November, leaving Boris and Natasha Republicans like Campbell in a withering minority.

The former Greenwich party chair is an executive with state contractor Frontier Communications. Battered by the communications revolution, Frontier recently emerged from an extended bankruptcy ordeal as a result of changing consumer habits and expensive landline carrier purchases.

The party committee selects a new leader in June.

A surprise for veteran Representative John Larson. Muad Hrezi, a 26 year old former Chris Murphy staffer, raised $89,000 since launching his campaign early this year. Full marks if you can remember the last time a Republican challenger to Larson raised that much.

That’s a hefty haul for a first-time candidate taking on a 12-term Democrat. Connecticut Democrats rarely tip over incumbents. The last one of note was Ned Lamont’s stunning upset of Senator Joseph Lieberman in a 2006 Democratic primary brawl. Lieberman lost the primary and defeated the heavily self-financed Lamont as an independent that fall.

Could this be the start of something big?

Read more about Hrezi here.

Stamford Mayor David Martin raised $52,000 in the first quarter of the year as he faces a tumultuous bid for re-election in a September primary and November general election. Martin is being challenged for the Democratic nomination by popular legislator Carolin Simmons. The winner of that contest is expected to face baseball legend Bobby Valentine, who will be running as an independent in Republican-phobic Stamford.

Martin’s coffers were boosted by a host of maximum $1,000 contributions from Stamford supporters. Simmons raised three times as much as Martin in the first quarter.

Martin spent $12,000 in campaign prep work. His biggest expenditures were to DNA Campaigns, a consulting operation familiar to state Democrats.