George Logan wins GOP nomination to face Democrat Jahana Hayes for Congress in 5th District

WATERTOWN – Gearing up for the year’s biggest rematch, former state Sen. George Logan won the Republican Party’s nomination unanimously Monday night to face his bitter rival, U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes.

After Logan lost to Hayes by less than 1 percentage point in 2022 in the state’s closest Congressional race, the rematch started shaping up in a highly anticipated battle with turnout expected to be high in a presidential year.

Since Logan came so close last year, national Republicans have rallied around him and have already traveled to Connecticut to raise all-important funds. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. James Comer, a leader in the Republican battles against President Joseph Biden and his son, Hunter, have raised money for Logan in high-profile appearances.

During an acceptance speech lasting about seven minutes Monday at Watertown High School, Logan told the delegates that he has already been taking the fight to Hayes, a three-term incumbent Democrat.

“All of you know that I love being on the campaign trail,” Logan told the crowd. “Tonight, you cast the first votes in 2024 to flip the 5th. We are just getting started. It is time to change the status quo.”

Logan then referred to a white T-shirt with blue lettering that Hayes wore last week when she accepted the Democratic nomination to run against Logan.

“The shirt said, ‘Protect y’all’s investment,’ ” Logan told delegates. “She’s asked Democrats to protect her, but I’m running for Congress to protect the American Dream.”

Switching to campaign themes, Logan talked about inflation that Republicans have dubbed Bidenflation.

“I wish I could say to all Americans that things are better than they were two years ago,” Logan said. “It’s getting harder and harder to stretch a dollar. Americans are maxing out their credit cards. … College tuition costs continue to rise, and President Joe Biden wants to pay off the debt for those chanting, ‘Death to America.’ ”

Logan added, “Our border has been in crisis for years, and the President, our commander in chief, refuses to take executive action. … Every state is a border state now. … The United States can and must do better. … This is America. The land of hope and opportunity.”

Hayes battling back

Knowing that the race will be close, Hayes has been posting tweets and sending emails to her supporters while asking for campaign funds.

“Republicans have named my race among their TOP FIVE targets this cycle,” Hayes wrote to supporters in capital letters. “As a Democrat representing a critical swing district, will you support my re-election campaign so we can oppose extremism and Trumpism in the House? Trumpism continues to dominate the Republican Party.”

Hayes added, “We cannot let Trumpism win in November. This dangerous ideology will cause our democracy to crumble, our rights to be taken away, and our communities to be weaker than ever. But stopping the Trump takeover of the House relies directly on my re-election as a Frontline Democrat in the House.”

The sprawling 5th district stretches from Simsbury to New Britain to Danbury to Salisbury on the Massachusetts border. The district is so large that it touches towns in four different counties – Litchfield, northern Fairfield, Hartford, and New Haven.

The delegates showed enthusiasm Monday for Logan.

State Rep. Joe Polletta of Watertown nominated Logan, saying he was a key player in support of the 2017 bipartisan state budget that passed when the 36-member state Senate was tied at 18-18.

“George is a doer. He has proven time and time again that he can win,” Polletta said. “He is back to finish the job he started. … Don’t worry. Help is on the way. … As George always says, he is no stranger to close elections.”

Michelle Coelho of Danbury, who is running for state Senate in a rematch against Democratic Sen. Julie Kushner, seconded the nomination.

“As a mother, I know George will take care of our kids,” Coelho said. “Together, let’s lift the 5th.”

With no opponents, Logan was nominated by acclamation without a roll call vote and received a standing ovation from hundreds of supporters who filled the auditorium.

Fundraising

In response to the Republican fundraiser by the House Speaker, Democrats not only criticized Johnson but also used his appearance in their own fundraising emails by Hayes and the state party. Hayes has been placed in the “Frontline Democrat” category that covers the most important, targeted races for incumbents that Democrats want to protect.

A former two-term state senator from the hardscrabble Naugatuck Valley, Logan prided himself on working across the aisle in Hartford. That tradition has become less common in highly polarized Washington, where all House Democrats joined with eight conservative Republicans last year to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy for the first time in American history.

Logan and other candidates had been photographed with McCarthy two years ago during the Speaker’s fundraising tour in Connecticut. Two days before McCarthy was ousted in October 2023, Logan said he still favored the California Republican. Today, Logan strongly supports Johnson, the new Speaker who has worked to pass legislation with an often-fractured Republican caucus where conservatives are led by Representatives Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Jim Jordan of Ohio, and Matt Gaetz of Florida.

Hayes is fighting for her political life. A former national teacher of the year, Hayes won races for the seat in 2018 and 2020 by 12 points each time as Republicans fared poorly in Connecticut in those cycles when Donald J. Trump was president, before she won the narrow victory in 2022.

In addition to the House Speaker’s appearance, the candidates are expected to see surrogates on both sides in the same way that Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to New Britain two years ago to speak on stage about abortion rights with Hayes. The race is also being targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and both sides are expected to spend millions on the high-stakes race.

Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com