J. R. Romano was the Chair of the Connecticut Republican Party. When he learned of Thomas Gilmer’s assault allegations two months before the primary, he hushed them up until Gilmer was arrested the night before the primary. This left the party with voters voting the next day for a candidate who had just withdrawn.
The GOP has not well in national elections in Connecticut and the last thing they needed was a fight over who was the GOP nominee. Luckily for the GOP, Gilmer lost by 81 votes after a recount. This led to Republican leaders demanding Romano’s resignation in August, 2020. He resigned January 14, 2021, perhaps in regret for not condemning Trump’s statements about the November election before the insurrection.
- Only in Bridgeport: Top Legislative Republican Asserts GOP Party Leader Must Step Down For Hushing Congressional Candidate’s Domestic Abuse Allegations
- Hartford Courant: J.R. Romano, the chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party, abruptly resigned on Tuesday
Record-Journal
Meriden, Connecticut · Monday, August 31, 2020
