Fairfield GOP Expects a Romney Victory

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Republican voters in Fairfield will see four names on their ballots when they head to the polls Tuesday. But most of the attention in the presidential primary will be focused on the third from the top: front-runner Mitt Romney.

“I think it’s going to be very strong numbers for Romney,” said James Millington, chairman of the Fairfield Republican Town Committee. “It’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that he’s going to be the party nominee.”

Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum join Romney on Connecticut’s ballots, which were set in March. Santorum officially suspended his campaign earlier this month. Many believe Romney’s delegate lead is too large for Gingrich and Paul to overcome.

Romney finished second among Fairfield’s Republican voters in his campaign for president in 2008, with 1,003 votes accounting for 26.3 percent of the town’s GOP primary votes. Eventual nominee John McCain won 62.9 percent  of Fairfield’s votes and 52 percent of the state’s votes in that primary.

In 2008, when Connecticut held its primary Feb. 5, turnout in Fairfield reached 36.6 percent on the Republican side. Millington expects turnout to be much lower Tuesday, because the state’s primaries are now “an afterthought.” He said a move to an earlier date would help the state’s voters.

“You’d actually see the candidates come to Connecticut to do some campaigning,” Millington said. “People would really get a strong flavor of what the candidates have to offer."

Romney is poised to beat President Barack Obama in at least one 2012 Fairfield competition: the race for donations. According to OpenSecrets.org, Romney has raised $86,800 so far from Fairfield residents, by far the most of any candidate in 2012. Obama has raised just $26,179 in Fairfield.

Fairfield went Democrat in the 2008 general election. Obama took 56.4 percent of the town’s votes, compared with McCain’s 42.8 percent showing. Millington said he believes Romney can put up a stronger showing in 2012.

A still-struggling economy might hurt Obama’s chances in Fairfield, he said. He was also confident that incumbents in three statehouse races — state Sen. John McKinney and state Reps. Brenda Kupchick and Tony Hwang — would bring Republicans “a lot of support” in national races in the fall.

“I think [Obama] is going to have a real hard battle,” Millington said. “I don’t think he’s got the welfare that he did four years ago in Fairfield.”

Fairfield’s polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. To find your polling place, visit the registrars of voters website.

Each district’s voters will go to their normal polling places with two exceptions. District 9 Republicans will still vote at Fairfield Ludlowe High School, but booths are located in the old gymnasium instead of the cafeteria. And construction at Roger Sherman School has moved District 10’s polling place to Penfield Pavilion, 323 Fairfield Beach Road. 

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