Thomas Gilmer is neck and neck with Justin Anderson in the Republican primary for Connecticut’s 2nd Congressional District. Though Gilmer dropped out of the contest Tuesday, the race appeared headed toward a recount as a final tally incorporating absentee ballots was underway Thursday.
Gilmer, the party-endorsed candidate, was arrested Monday on domestic violence charges. But his name remained on the ballot, and Gilmer led by about 20 votes as of 5 p.m. Thursday with almost 98% of precincts reporting. A recount is triggered when the difference between vote totals is less than half a percent or fewer than 20 votes.
J.R. Romano, chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party, laid out potential scenarios.
“If Justin Anderson wins the primary, he’s the candidate to represent the Republican Party against Joe Courtney,” Romano told Connecticut Public Radio. “And then if Tommy Gilmer wins, he has already withdrawn. He has to submit his paperwork to the secretary of the state, and that would create a vacancy. The vacancy is filled by a vote of the State Central Committee, which is like the executive board of the entire Republican Party for the state.”
And if Gilmer wins and doesn’t officially withdraw? “I don’t foresee that happening,” said Romano.
There is an official withdrawal process. Gabe Rosenberg, communications director for the secretary of the state, said that “if Gilmer wins the primary and then withdraws, the Republican party will be able to replace him up until Oct. 7.”
That’s 21 days before the general election.
As of Thursday, the secretary’s office had not seen Gilmer’s paperwork. In the event Gilmer wins but doesn’t withdraw, then he’s on the ballot in November,” Rosenberg said.
The charges against Gilmer include second-degree strangulation and first-degree unlawful restraint. The Hartford Courant says a police report of the assault includes video evidence that Gilmer punched his former girlfriend and placed her in a rear chokehold.
Romano says he knew about the situation in April and encouraged those involved to take it to the authorities.
He said he did not personally investigate further.
“Someone asked me about why didn’t you take possession of the video, or didn’t you want to see the evidence?” he said. “And from my perspective, it’s like saying, ‘Hey, I have a murder weapon, do you wanna see it?’ No, you have evidence of a crime, you need to bring it to proper authorities.
“And if I have it, I’m going to do that,” Romano said. “And again, the victim was very adamant about not wanting to go public at the time,” he added.
Ali Oshinskie is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.
