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On Saturday, February 28, 2026, an assembly of members and friends of the Connecticut Republican Assembly (CTRA) convened at the Cadillac Ranch in Southington for their 9th Annual Luncheon & Convention where the organization urged everyone to “Go HARD” when hitting the campaign trail this year.
The event began with two presentations from CTRA members. Pastor Jake Dell of First Congregational Church in Woodbury talked about how to hold to the truth by exposing the lies of the Left. Then Derby Republican Town Committee Chair Gino DiGiovanni spoke about how to act with courage.
A break followed to allow people to visit allied organizations at their engagement tables and meet some of the candidates who attended. The groups who sponsored tables included CT 169 Strong, CT Parents Involved in Education, the Fairfield County Assembly, the Family Institute of CT (FIC), the Greater Education Council of CT, the Institute of CT History, Unite4Freedom, the Yankee Institute for Public Policy, and former FBI Agent Greg Dillon, author of the book, “The Thin Blue Lie: An Honest Cop vs. The FBI.”
Some of the Republicans running for office in attendance included gubernatorial candidate Betsy McCaughey, Lt. Governor candidate Matt Corey, and Congressional candidates Amy Chai (1st District), George Austin (2nd District), Christopher Lancia (3rd District), Dr. Michael Goldstein and John Flynn (4th District), and Jonathan De Barros and Chris Shea (5th District).
The program continued with William Gifford, the Social Media Director for the UConn chapter of Turning Point USA, who spoke on how the older generations can help Gen Z build a strong relationship with God. CTRA member Jonathan Goldstein followed him up with a talk about how to run for office by putting God first. Then CTRA National Director Anne Manusky surprised Gino DiGiovanni by presenting him with the Mark W. Anderson Award which is given to the person who best exemplified political courage in the previous year.
After dining on a buffet lunch and the traditional CTRA cake, keynote speaker Carl Higbie, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, author, and anchor of the nightly Newsmax program “Carl Higbie Frontline,” took to the stage to talk about what it means to him to “Go HARD.” Then CTRA National Director and Parliamentarian Manny Santos announced the winners of the silent auction and the event closed with CTRA President Mark R. Mnich announcing the call to action for this year which was to “recruit a candidate and disciple them.”
The local county chapters then held their annual meetings to elect their new officers. The new Presidents are:
The last order of business was the CTRA Annual Meeting with the announcement of the newly formed Litchfield County Chapter which elected Pastor Jake Dell as its President. They also announced that the Endorsement Convention for statewide and Congressional candidates will be held at the Meriden Police Benevolent Association (PBA) on Saturday, June 20, 2026 at the CTRA Summer Picnic.
The Connecticut Republican Assembly is a chapter of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies (NFRA), a grassroots movement made up of Reagan/Douglass conservatives who subscribe to 14 Principles & Beliefs that every person in the Republican Party should uphold. President Ronald Reagan described the NFRA, which was founded in California in 1934, as, “The Republican Wing of the Republican Party, the home of the Frederick Douglass Republicans, and the conscience of the Republican Party.”
CTRA supports true Republican candidates, endorses in primaries, and works to restore the Republican Party to its conservative pro-Constitution roots. For more information on the CT Republican Assembly, please visit our website at www.ctra.us or email us at [email protected].
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