As he promised on Election Night in 2007, after losing to Democrat Art Ward, Ken Johnson is aiming for a rematch this time around.
Johnson told the Republican Town Committee last night that he is going to run for mayor this year.
The GOP's town chairman, T.J. Barnes, said today that Johnson is "a great candidate. He does do the work."
"He gave Art Ward a pretty good run for his money the last time around," Barnes said, and could win this year.
I have a call in to Johnson so there will be more later.
Ward is almost certainly running for re-election but hasn't formally announced any plans.
It's not clear if Johnson will face any opposition from within his own party.
City Councilor Mike Rimcoski, a Republican, said he wouldn't be surprised if former Mayor William Stortz also runs for mayor this year.
Stortz just kind of smiled at me when I asked him about that a couple of weeks ago, then he changed the subject. I'll ask him again, though.
Update: Johnson and I swapped phone calls, missing each other so far, but he did send along via email a statement about why he's running again:
I spoke during the '07 municipal campaign about the need for the Bristol Republican Party to become 'relevant.' We needed to provide people with a reason to come to the polls so the Democratic Party didn't have defacto appointment power. We sought to give people the opportunity to have a say in their local government. I think we made significant strides towards relevance in '07 with the re-election of Mike Rimkowski and the election of a new councilman, Ken Cockayne. And I like to think I ran a spirited campaign and gave Artie Ward a scare he could not have anticipated from a 'no-name' candidate.
As Bristol Republicans, our charge now is to pick up where we left off in '07 and bring it to the next level. It is 2009 and nothing has changed. Bristol still needs leaders who possess vision and recognize their responsibility to the taxpaying citizens. Running in '07 was a very enjoyable experience for me and I am energized to lead the ticket again in 2009. Therefore, I announced my intention to seek election and serve as your next mayor.
I am running because I intend to win. We are going to get back to basics: the Republican Party will speak for the taxpayers of Bristol and hold our government accountable for the spending of our money. My ticket will be running as a team, committed in writing to a common set of core principles. We will run a full slate and a strong slate of council candidates - I believe the strongest slate the Republican Party has fielded in many years. I am committed to victory and a clean Republican sweep in November. My one promise is this- when you get involved with my campaign,you'll have fun, a great experience and get to be part of a winning team.
As Bristol Republicans, our charge now is to pick up where we left off in '07 and bring it to the next level. It is 2009 and nothing has changed. Bristol still needs leaders who possess vision and recognize their responsibility to the taxpaying citizens. Running in '07 was a very enjoyable experience for me and I am energized to lead the ticket again in 2009. Therefore, I announced my intention to seek election and serve as your next mayor.
I am running because I intend to win. We are going to get back to basics: the Republican Party will speak for the taxpayers of Bristol and hold our government accountable for the spending of our money. My ticket will be running as a team, committed in writing to a common set of core principles. We will run a full slate and a strong slate of council candidates - I believe the strongest slate the Republican Party has fielded in many years. I am committed to victory and a clean Republican sweep in November. My one promise is this- when you get involved with my campaign,you'll have fun, a great experience and get to be part of a winning team.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
31 comments:
No wonder Ward was smiling.
That's not exactly a strong endorsement message from the town chairman. Can the chairman be any more condescending? Does he really want Johnson to win? Well I guess money talks. What do the rest of the GOP leaders have to say except "give us money"?
The GOP has made a big mistake in not getting Stortz to run: he is the only one that has the fiscal knowledge to get the city straightened out.
Stortz won't get the endorsement His party doesn't want him. It's time for him to fade away into the night!
CC:
They'll sell you tickets to things.
Stortz's time has come and gone and he should just enjoy retirement. Go Ken Johnson!!!!!
Sounds like Johnson thinks he has all the answers.
Too bad he hasn't won anything. Or done anything.
But when will he have time to deliver on his contract with the City and figure out the street light mess? He promised to make Cl&P pay the City thousands of dollars which the City can surely use in these tough economic times.
Oh never mind! I forgot, Johnson already cashed his pay check from the City. Guess we're the chumps.
I would vote for Stortz in a heartbeat. If the R's don't support him he should run as an I. I will not support Johnson based on past performance and communication skills.
Ken who? We haven't seen nor heard from him since the COO-COO debacle. Now he's gonna try to run for mayor again??? HAHAHAHAHAHAH
ken, don't flatter yourself, ward has been through a lot more than you have to offer, for you to think that you put a "scare" into him.
Most scarey part is that you even think that you can win, where ya been for the past 15 months? is it true that you only show up at election or when it is payoff time from the city?
Here comes Schaffrick, Mocabee and Klapatch, Again
Please tell me what Johnson has done for the city in the last two years since he lost the election? After loosing he just faded away in silence and now all of a sudden he wants to run the city. Does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture?
Republicans need a fresh face in the mayor's race.
Guess I'll be voting for Ward. I find Ken very arrogant. Too bad the GOP could not find someone better.
a $10,000,pie-in-the-sky, no-show, city contract, a proposed $300,000 taxpayer costly, unneeded and unsuccessful COO boon-doogle and a year and a half hibernation from any positive input in city affairs and the guy wants to be a mayor - does he really think that we are that ignorant?
Better reinforce the doors in City Hall!
"As Bristol Republicans, our charge now is to pick up where we left off in '07"
Uh, pretty obvious that he'll have to pick up where he left off because Mr. Johnson certainly hasn't done anything for Bristol since '07.... come to think of it though, he never really did do anything for Bristol, except leave us on the losing end of the CL&P fiasco, oh and don't forget him trying to stick us all with the bogus COO-COO....No wonder Ward was smiling! :0)
We need a Republican who will stand up to the Unions - because we know Ward won't.
I will vote for Johnson - I am tired of Ward kissing the unions butts.
Neither Ken nor his smug looks will get my vote. I'd vote for Mickey Mouse before I'd vote for him!
People, I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but evil boogie union is the least of our problems....
All the Anti Union people will vote for the Kenny duo
January 28, 2009 10:59 AM:
Not so in regards to the state budget. The unions need to make concessions NOW.
you need to give even the anti-union people credit for being able to recognize the facts of life - local history has verified the fact that johnson loves to get paid for doing - absolutely nothing at all.
go ken go, & take the other ken with you - outta town.
I do not need to have fun,or have the experience of possibly losing or winning,Ken the Republicans have put this coutrie into a recession,But you and I have madeout like bandits(realestate)I hope that you put some money aside.
will be surprizing if the local gop supports candidates like the free-spending COO duo of johnson and cockayne - they buried the gop this year - at least now schaffrick, mocabea and klemick will have an excuse for losing.
Mr. Johnson does not speak for the Bristol Republican party. He is not even a member of the Town Committee yet he has the gawl to stand in front of them and proclaim he has all the answers. The result is many on the Town Committee are not very happy with him at the moment. He says he has a full slate of candidates? Oh really? Who might they be. Because he left many at the meeting scratching their heads. This is just more backroom meetings that exclude the very members of the party who's support he needs. Where has he been since he lost in 2007? What has he done? He still has unfinished business with the city (CL&P overages). Yet there he was in front of the group with his leg up on a chair in an over done dramatic fashion giving a lecture on what it means to be a Republican and trying to look like some great leader. He lost my vote right then and there. I hope Ken Cockayne and Mike Rimkoski who are running for re-election do not run as part of his proclaimed slate.
GOP for Ward
Too bad the republican (leadership) abandoned Stortz.
They were/are more interested in power than winning.
Give it up Ken Johnson!!! The people of Bristol do not want you as mayor and they did not support your bogus COO idea...GET THE HINT!!! I can only hope the republican party can come up with someone to run against you in a primary,so we don't have to listen to your bad ideas and whinning again.
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