By Dominick Lombardi
Orange Republican Town Committee
Dominick Lombardi
I would like to start off by wishing everyone a very happy fall, which is one of my favorite times of year to be a resident of Orange. The mornings and evenings are cool and crisp, the days are sunny and breezy, and the sights of cornfields and fall foliage are stunning. One of the best events of the year, the Orange Country Fair, is the highlight of autumn.
Another reason why fall is one of my favorite times of year is because it is the official start of the election season. If you haven’t noticed already, there is an election coming up on Tuesday, Nov. 5. We live in an age of hyper-partisanship and media manipulation on both sides, so I encourage everyone to conduct independent research on the candidates, their platforms, and, for those who are incumbents, their voting records or accomplishments while in office.
I often find that, in a presidential election year, the top of the ticket consumes most of the oxygen in the room. But there is an entire ballot’s worth of candidates who work hard and deserve your attention and your vote. When going to the polls this year, I am going to take a page out of the 40th president, Ronald W. Reagan, who asked in his 1980 campaign, “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”
Well, are you? How is your electric bill, grocery bill, gas bill and other expenditures? Do you feel safe when you are out shopping or traveling? Do you feel that our country is in good standing on the world stage? If you find that the answer to many of these questions is negative, as many residents who I have spoken to have expressed to me, then I would suggest voting for change.
I will be supporting Republican leadership up and down the ballot this November, and I encourage you to do the same. But remember, do not just support candidates because they get a high-profile or celebrity endorsement or because a particular news outlet jockeys for their candidacy. Celebrities and media personalities can very seldom relate to the struggles and realities that the average American experiences. Do your research.
I am happy to report that the state of the ORTC is strong. We laid out a strong vision for the RTC with the following goals: procure productivity, efficiency and results for the ORTC based on the following areas: fundraising, membership engagement, election integrity and youth involvement.
While many take time off from politics over the summer, our team had a highly productive time and produced some amazing results. We have hosted and planned several major fundraisers for the party. This included the 1st Annual Freedom Family Picnic, which took place in June. We exceeded expectations with the event. I am thrilled to announce our next fundraising initiative, which will be the 1st Annual ORTC Pickleball Tournament, taking place on Sunday, Oct. 20 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pickle Spot in Orange. This event is open to anyone who enjoys pickleball, regardless of political party. If you are interested, please email ortc.chairman@gmail.com.
Our Membership and Welcome Committee is doing a superb job, and we were happy this past January to grow our membership by 30 new committee members, with more on the way. What is really inspiring to me is that not only are we growing with new members, but they are engaged, excited, committed and ready to work to ensure our party is well-positioned in future elections.
Our Election Integrity Task Force is currently researching and developing some initiatives to take, but mostly they are monitoring absentee ballot measures and voting initiatives by the state. This November there is going to be an amendment on the ballot regarding “no excuse” absentee ballot requests. In our committee’s research and considerations of the amendment, we encourage you to vote no. There currently exists sufficient opportunity for absentee balloting and early voting.
Our newest committee, the ORTC Youth Advisory Coalition, is off to an electric start. We started with six initial members in January. Since then, we have grown that to over 50 young Republicans. Seeing young faces in the room at our meetings and events is exciting and inspiring. At their recommendation we have launched the ORTC Instagram page. If you have Instagram and would like to follow us, please do so at orange.ct.republicans. If you know someone who would like to join the ORTC Youth Advisory Coalition, email ortc.chairman@gmail.com.
Overall, the ORTC is doing extremely well. I would like to invite all residents to our events, which you can learn about from our website, Facebook or Instagram pages. If you love our town, our country and want to keep Orange a strong community to live, work, and raise a family in, then you have a home with the Orange Republicans.
Dominick Lombardi is the chair of the Orange Republican Town Committee.