Former State Rep. and commissioner Robert Farr and Second District Senate candidate Malvi Lennon

March 28, 2012

Written By Juliana Simone

Hartford – This afternoon West Hartford’s John Decker, 45, announced in the City Place atrium his intention to run for the First Congressional District seat. Seeking the Republican nomination, if this May’s State Republican Convention’s delegates make him their party’s candidate, he would face veteran incumbent John Larson (D). Mr. Decker works in Hartford as a certified financial planner in the City Place building.

Video above: Jerry Labriola, Jim Lewis, and John Decker

Video above: Post announcement interview with John Decker and William Landers

With patriotic red white and blue balloons on each side of the lectern that displayed a 2012 campaign sign, CT GOP Chairman Jerry Labriola kicked off the event by telling supporters in the lobby about the new candidate John Henry Decker. He also talked about the Democrat Congressman who has held this seat for fourteen years or seven terms and is the third ranking Democrat in Washington D.C. and some of the policies he and his caucus are responsible for and why he needs to be replaced.

Introducing the candidate was Jim Lewis, President of Business for Downtown Hartford, who talked about his fellow board member Mr. Decker and his work over five years for their group that focused on the needs of small businesses and the revitalization of downtowns everywhere. Lewis felt that John’s work as a certified financial planner in futures work, allowed him to see things with a vision for the future which is a good qualification for a Congressman. Mr. Lewis talked about how Decker graduated from the University of Oklahoma and chose to come to Connecticut sixteen years ago to work and raise a family. He and his wife Melinda have three children and live in West Hartford. John Decker is also the treasurer and a deacon of his church.

Mr. Decker thanked those for coming, and spoke about his father who always taught him to do his best and the value of a dollar.  He thanked him for  driving all the way down today from New Hampshire. Talking about his sixteen years in Connecticut, he remembered people asking him why Hartford? when he chose to move here. He realized then that it was important to build Hartford and make it the best it can be and involved himself as much as he could.

Writing President Obama a letter three years ago, he wished him well, but told Obama his nearly one trillion dollar stimulus bill was doomed to fail. Decker told his audeience, I think about that bill and what it has led to. As a financial planner I asked people what they were going to do with these checks – no one was going to go out and spend them – to boost the economy – they were going to pay off credit card bills and get out of debt. Talking about the deficit our nation is in today, he explained how people could grasp America’s 15.6 trillion debt with an example he conceived.  Every day our country goes 4.2 billion in debt a day, he continued, comparing the interest on this debt to credit cards and how difficult they become to pay off as the debt grows.

Talking about his opponent democrat John Larson, Decker said “We can’t afford to send him back to Washington because we can’t afford his policies.” He addressed the economy, jobs, tough regulations that keep small businesses from starting or growing, people’s concerns about losing their jobs or homes, the cost of inflation rising while wages are not – and how this hurts lower income families the most, of which there are many in our first district. The Republican candidate noted how Larson voted against the Keystone Pipeline and now we remain dependent on the Middle East for our oil so CT residents are paying over four dollars a gallon today. John told supporters he was blessed with a wonderful family and job and it was difficult for him to decide to run for Congress, but every once in awhile you have to step forward when you care about something and take a risk. He asked to put an end to career politicians and return to a citizen’s congress that is full of our friends and peers.