Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley has endorsed Janet Peckinpaugh for state representative in the special election on Tuesday, Feb. 22.
Peckinpaugh is seeking to fill the seat previously held by state Rep. Jamie Spallone, who stepped down to become the deputy Secretary of the State in the office with newly elected Denise Merrill. The race is one of the highest-profile contests in the special election as Peckinpaugh faces Democrat Phil Miller, the Essex first selectman since 2003.
Republicans believe they have a strong chance to recapture the seat because Peckinpaugh has high name recognition from her television career and her race against U.S. Rep. Joseph Courtney that ended in a loss last November.
"Most of us know Janet Peckinpaugh from her years as a Connecticut television reporter and news anchor,'' Foley said in a statement. "But you should also know she is a hard working, single mother who runs a small business and understands what needs to be done to make our economy healthy again.''