Republicans Nominate Ziobron for 34th House Seat

Melissa Ziobron won the Republican nomination for the 34th House District race on Wednesday night at the party’s convention at Angelico’s Lake House Restaurant in East Hampton.

Ziobron, of East Haddam, defeated opponent Bill Devine of East Hampton by a 6-5 vote.

The District, which took on a new look following redistricting last year, now includes East Hampton, East Haddam and the Westchester portion of Colchester.

, who has been visibly campaigning, wasn’t surprised by the outcome.

“I was very confident,” she said. “I would like to have had an additional vote from East Hampton, but I’m very confident that I can do the job and that I can defeat Bill if he chooses to primary.”

Devine, 69, confirmed he would do just that.

“I’m going to,” he said.

The news didn’t shake Ziobron, her only concern being the divisiveness it could cause in the party.

“It gives me a chance to really meet voters and work from tomorrow to August,” she said. “I wish Bill could take a little bit of perspective here and a couple days to really think about what a race like this is going to mean for him. I’d like for him to be able to go out on a high note, so to speak. I don’t want to have to primary Bill and fight the battle, but I’m certainly prepared to do it.

“East Hampton has been so fractured for so long. I was really hoping we could get above that. I want East Hampton to heal and move on and my fear is that by staying in the race it’s going to bring out a lot of divisiveness.”

But that is a battle, if it comes to fruition, to be fought in the coming months. Wednesday night was a time for Ziobron, 40, flanked by family and Young Republicans, to celebrate getting her party’s nod.

Prior to the vote, Randy Dill gave Ziobron’s nominating speech, calling her a rabid conservative Republican.

“Melissa works hard for what she believes,” Dill said. “Though she is a tough defender of her own beliefs, Melissa has always been willing to work with others with a different opinion.”

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East Haddam Town Clerk Debra Denette said one of the big differences between the candidates was Ziobron’s energy, enthusiasm and passion.

“I’ve known Melissa for more than a decade and I’ve never failed to be impressed by her,” Denette said. “She’s a fighter for what is right and just."

Brian Linares, chairman of the East Haddam Young Republicans, said Ziobron has “run a campaign that has inspired people to get involved because she speaks from her heart.”

Linares talked about this being about the future and that “We desperately need someone who can look to the future.”

Former East Hampton Town Council Chairwoman Melissa Engel gave Devine’s nominating speech, citing his experience in town as a businessman and in politics a key issue to consider. Devine, who has a jewelry store in East Hampton, has 35 years experience in town, 25 serving in politics and being involved in several local organizations.

“I think experience in this race does matter,” Engel said.

Engel then raised the importance of being able to carry East Hampton to win the race against the Democratic candidate, which appears to be Chris Goff, a former East Hampton Town Councilor who is running unopposed.

“The reality is that you don’t win an election for state representative without East Hampton,” Engel said. “We can have Westchester, we can have East Haddam, but if we don’t have East Hampton, we lost our first chance in over 50 years to get this assembly seat back. … Bill Devine has a proven victory record in East Hampton for years.”

Devine served many of those years on the town council and in 2006 ran a close race against Gail Hamm for the 34th District seat, losing by 87 votes. The seat became wide open after Hamm announced in March she would not seek re-election to an eighth term.

Don Martin brought up Devine’s life experiences as an important factor and said the party’s chances of winning the seat rested entirely with Devine.

“If anything, we have life experience with Bill,” Martin said. “If we’re going to elect somebody for the 34th District, we need somebody with life experience. If East Hampton doesn’t elect Bill, we won’t win in the legislature. We have no chance. That’s the reality of it.”

Don Coolican, a member of the East Hampton Board of Education, also raised the need to carry East Hampton.

“We have a man here who can beat ,” Coolican said. “Goff is a big name in East Hampton and it’s going to take an East Hampton person to get those votes from Goff. Melissa is a great candidate, but the name of the game here is winning. If we’re going to win, we’re going to have to win East Hampton.”

Ziobron, who is originally from East Hampton, wouldn’t have it.

“I’m going to represent the District,” she said afterward. “The District is more than East Hampton.”

As for her ability to beat Goff, she confidently took that as a challenge.

“I thrive on that,” she said. “Absolutely I can beat Chris. This is about things that are bigger than us. This is not about one town versus another town. If that’s what they’re gong to campaign on about East Hampton being the only way to win the District, I’m going to talk about individual voters, their ideas, bringing their message back to Hartford. I plan on knocking on a lot of doors … I know Bill Divine is not going to match my energy on the campaign trail.

“I want to win because I think there’s a lot of things that need to be changed in Hartford and that’s what I’m going to focus on.”

Devine brushed off the loss.

“She’s been campaigning in Colchester for two years and campaigning in East Haddam for two years,” he said, “so she had an advantage there.”

As for the importance of winning East Hampton and his ability to do that, Devine pointed to the many Democrats and independents in town.

“I’m the only one who can switch them over,” he said.

Ziobron gathered with family and supporters after the convention at Loco Perro in East Hampton to celebrate.

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