Former Groton mayor Heather Somers will seek the Republican nomination for the state Senate from the 18th District. Somers won an upset victory in the 2014 Republican primary for lieutenant governor over endorsed candidate Penny Bacchiochi and John McKinney running mate David Walker.

The 8 town district is represented by incumbent Democrat Andrew Maynard, who is serving his 5th term. Maynard was grievously injured in a fall at his Mystic apartment late one night in the summer of 2014. He was re-elected in November of that year, though he was unable to campaign and the extent of his injuries was unclear. In this situation, it is best to get car accident injury claims or personal injury claims with the help of an experienced lawyer. If you want to sue the truck driver  for the accident, you can check it out here! Also, you can check out injury attorneys for hire from here!

Maynard was in a serious motor vehicle collision last month in Waterford. He was driving himself from a meeting at the Capitol when his car crossed into oncoming traffic, striking another vehicle. Maynard has not announced whether he plans to seek a sixth term.

Somers served on the Groton town council for 5 terms. She was a founding partner of a medical device company.

UPDATE: That did not take long. Andrew Maynard announced today that he will not seek a 6th term.

National Review publisher and connected Connecticut Republican, revealed in a Tuesday morning email that CNBC talker Larry Kudlow will give a miss to the U.S. Senate race against Democratic incumbent Richard Blumenthal.

Here’s Fowler’s tart email to people committed to supporting and advising Kudlow:

Friends,

I have learned that Larry Kudlow will be announcing some time this week that he will NOT be running for United States Senate.

When and where and how he will make this announcement I do not know.

As for why he will not run, that is for Larry to explain. I believe the process is daunting, and the sacrifice siginficant, and, no matter how many people encouraged him — and I do believe there was a path to victory — that encouragement could not surmount the challenges Larry, or any canddiate, would face.

Please know that the intention of the Board of Advisors (which is what you had agreed to be part of) was to begin announcing its members, in groups, over a series of days this month. The fact is, no anouncements were made, and I am glad for that in the light of Larry’s decision.

Indeed, there has been no formal publicity related to the Board, and to your participation.

I may be stepping on Larry’s lines here, but the clock is ticking, delegate selections are approaching, and for all I know there are good candidates who would have (might still?) tossed a hat in the ring but refrained from such given Larry’s looming / pending candidacy. And you have a right to know this information as soon as possible.

I appreciate your willingness to help.

Sincerely,

Jack Fowler

Chairman, Jobs for Connecticut

Publisher, National Review

Bill Stevens, a Newtown business executive, is seeking the Republican nomination for Congress in the Fifth District.

Stevens’s email announcement sounds like he’ll have rather a lot to say about guns. He wrote, “Our Nation is in grave danger. Connecticut needs a Congressman who will fight to strengthen our national security, rebuild our military, secure our borders, and defend the Constitution and our 2nd Amendment rights.”

He included a few words on his background as an introduction to Republicans who will endorse a candidate at a spring convention to face incumbent Democrat Elizabeth Esty. Stevens “is a graduate of the prestigious New Mexico Military Institute (Commissioned, 2nd Lieutenant) and the University of California, Santa Barbara. His background includes Asian Studies, International banking, and sustainable energy.”

Stevens joins Sherman First Selectman Clay Cope and fellow Newtown resident Matt Maxwell in the contest for the Republican nomination.

Waterbury Republican Stephanie Cummings announced she will seek the Republican nomination for the 74th House Disrtrict. The two term member of the board of alderman launched her campaign Friday with a warm endorsement from retiring incumbent Selim Noujaim. He called Cummings “competent, capable and worthy” in a campaign press release.

Cummings is a lawyer and lifelong Waterbury resident who has been active in a variety of volunteer organizations and “also founded a book drive that has collected nearly 30,000 books for Waterbury children.”

Dynamic Aetna chief Mark Bertolini introduced himself to Louisville, Kentucky on Tuesday with a speech that included worrisome words for Connecticut. Bertolini appeared on the stage at the Louisville Palace to tell an audience of 1,100 at the annual meeting of Greater Louisville Inc. that of all the places around the world “we’ve made a commitment to only one community as part of our worldwide business and that’s Louisville.” Louisville is home to Humana, the health insurance company Aetna is buying for $37 billion. Regulators are reviewing the deal while employees from both companies work on melding the two companies into an efficient corporate behemoth.

Bertolini is among the business titans known to be unhappy with the business climate in Connecticut. Aetna did not participate in the state’s health care exchange after regulators refused to approve the company’s rate proposal.

You can read about and watch the speech here. Corporate chieftain speeches usually are not of much interest to a general audience. This one is.

Southbury Republican Joseph Stango will give a miss to the race for the Republican nomination for the House of Representatives in Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District. Career and family commitments are keeping the Medicaid reformer out of the race to oppose incumbent Democrat Elizabeth Esty.

Stango’s statement concluded with an endorsement of Sherman First Selectman Clay Cope, calling him “an ideal candidate” for the seat. Cope kicks off his candidacy Wednesday at noon in Danbury. He’ll be joined by beloved Newtown First Selectman Patricia Llodra, popular former state Senator David Cappiello, veteran Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, three-time 5th CD hopeful Mark Greenberg, and a host of other Republican elected officials from the western part of the sprawling district.

Veteran Republican state Representative Selim Noujaim announced at a Waterbury legislative breakfast Thursday morning that he will not seek re-election in November. Noujaim, who was elected to the seat in a 2002 special election, represents a competitive seat in the east side of the Brass City. Waterbury politics is often tumultuous. The race for the 74th district seat could be ferocious. It may be one of the Democrats’ few pickup opportunities as they look for places to defend their 32 year majority in the face of voter anxiety.

The 2016 Republican state convention will likely be held on Monday, May 9th at the Connecticut Convention Center. Both date and venue need to be ratified by the party’s state central committee.

The convention will nominate a candidate for the U.S. Senate candidate, five candidates for the House of Representatives, and seven electors for the Electoral College.

Here’s a link to my column on the Hartford minor league baseball stadium.

Candidates often spend days and nights away from their families in pursuit of public office. While many (though not all) spouses miss their husband or wife while the campaign grinds on away from home, few forget their beloved’s name. The Shabans of Connecticut’s Fourth Congressional District are different.

Mr. Shaban is making another bid for the House after being chased out of the race early in 2014 by fellow Republican Dan Debicella. Shaban often claimed he could connect in the board room and the barroom as he made his way around the district. His wife, Liza, appears to have forgotten her husband’s name. She sent conflicting urgent fundraising emails to potential donors Monday afternoon. In the first, she referred to her husband as David in the body of the message. His name is John. The first email was sent at 2:34 p.m. Twenty-eight minutes later, Liza Shaban sent another message with her husband’s correct name, John.

Republicans in the district were rolling their eyes Monday at the error. Some wonder if Shaban campaign aides may not know their candidate’s proper first name. Others think it is of no consequence as party loyalists are unenthusiastic about the Redding Republican and hope other more serious contenders may emerge.