France Seeks Republican Nomination to Challenge Courtney.

State Representative Mike France announced Tuesday that he will seek the Republican nomination for Congress in the Connecticut’s Second District. If nominated, France is expected to face popular eight-term incumbent Democrat Joe Courtney.

France, whose 42nd district includes Ledyard, Montville, and Preston, was elected to the legislature in 2014. He is a Navy veteran and serves as the head of the House Republicans’ conservative caucus.

France’s statement:

“Watching Congress fail the American people is difficult for anyone to sit back and watch. Given my background in public service and service to my country, I felt compelled to run for many reasons, but it was the withholding of COVID assistance last Fall that got me into this race. While families suffered, with businesses shuttered, and our country holding on by a thread, Pelosi and her party withheld crucial, life-saving aid for what they now admit were entirely political purposes. We can disagree on the issues, even passionately at times, but that brazen and disgraceful act made clear to me that our representatives in Congress have forgotten that they are accountable to the people.”

“Bipartisanship and putting people first used to be hallmarks of good government. Today those traits seem too inconvenient for our members of Congress to even use as a sound bite. I am running for Congress to give the people of Connecticut’s second congressional district a voice in Washington that cannot be silenced by special interest or party pressure. I am proud to run on my track record of doing exactly that in the State Legislature and look forward to a competitive fight to win back the second congressional district for the people.” 

Second District Republicans have struggled to find a serious challenger to Courtney. France, 58, would be the first legislator to make the race in the district that includes all of the eastern region of Connecticut.