Peter Del Mastro is seeking the Republican Party nomination to run for state representative from the 79th legislative district, a press release from his campaign announced Thursday.
The 79th is the seat currently held by Democrat Frank Nicastro who is retiring at the end of the year. Nicastro, who has never lost an election, beat Del Mastro in a hard fought contest in 2010, said the campaign’s press release.
“While short on political experience,” the press release said, “Del Mastro is long on business and leadership skills. A three year tour in the U.S. Army and a 40 year business career have provided him with many and varied opportunities to hone those skills.”
When asked why he was entering the world of politics when most people his age are enjoying retirement, Del Mastro replied, according to the campaign release, “Connecticut’s economy is on life support. Democrats, who have controlled the State Legislature for decades, have taxed and spent and over-regulated to the point where employers are heading for the exits in droves while citizens struggle to maintain their standard of living in a hostile economic environment. I want to help bring Connecticut back from the brink,” said Del Mastro, according to the press release.
When asked what could be done to solve Connecticut’s problems, Del Mastro—who had written a column for the Observer—stated in the press release, “Democrats, who created this crisis, are unwilling to make the tough decisions that will get the State’s financial house in order. The size of government must be reduced, government employees’ wage and benefit system must be reformed and the taxes and fees paid by Connecticut citizens and businesses must be cut. We need legislators with the courage to do these things.”
Del Mastro also stated in the news release, “Accomplishing the necessary changes is a matter of simple addition and subtraction. Republicans must be added to and Democrats subtracted from the Legislature in November, in large enough numbers, to give the GOP control of both the House and Senate. Only then can the tough job of fixing what is wrong with Connecticut proceed.”
