John Fahan

John Fahan is an American political strategist who lives in Stratford, CT. He is a former Democrat and since August 2020 has been a member of the State Central Committee of the Independent Party of CT representing the 21st State Senate District. He was a member of the Stamford Board of Representatives from 2001 to 2004 representing the downtown 6th District. In that election he ran unopposed winning together with his running mate Annie Summerville for the two seats in that district. Upon moving to Stratford, CT in 2004 he held several appointed roles including serving on the town's 2008 Charter Revision Commission and the Longbrook Park Commission. He is credited with placing the park on the State Register of Historic Places. In 2009 Fahan ran for the Stratford Town Council and lost in a three way race to Republican Matt Catalano who prevailed with 771 votes to Fahan's 442 votes and petition candidate George Mulligan who received 83 votes. From 2018 to 2019 he served as the Chairperson of the Stratford Citizens Addressing Racial Equity Committee (C.A.R.E.) where he helped lead an unsuccessful parent effort in preventing the board of education from demagnetizing Stratford Academy, realigning the school district , and cutting transportation needs.

In the spring of 2021 former professional baseball player and manager Bobby Valentine announced he was running for mayor of his hometown of Stamford, CT as a petition candidate. In addition, Democrat CT State Representative Caroline Simmons also announced her mayoral bid. In July she won the Democratic Party endorsement over incumbent Mayor David Martin by a vote of 21 to 19. Martin followed by securing enough signatures to force a primary.

Initially, Fahan approached the Valentine camp with a proposal that he run not as a petition candidate but rather as the nominee of the Independent Party of CT as it was Fahan's belief that Valentine could still maintain his "independent" political philosophy and at the same time have the backing of a political party. These overtures were rejected by the Valentine campaign. Fahan shifted gears and assessed that Simmons was actually the better candidate and Fahan believed he could play the role of potential kingmaker in which he correctly guessed would be a close election. The Republican nominee, Joe Corsello, dropped out of the race and endorsed Valentine.

In August 2021 Simmons was formally cross endorsed by the Independent Party of CT. In September she handily defeated incumbent Democratic Mayor David Martin in the Democratic Party primary winning all 20 voting districts. Simmons therefore, secured her place both on the Democratic Party and Independent Party ballot lines for the general election. In November Simmons went on to defeat Valentine in the general election by 1,505 votes. 680 (2.30%) of those 1,505 votes came from votes cast on the Independent Party line. The final tally was Simmons 15,656 (52.5%) to Valentine 14,060 (47.46%). Fahan is widely known to have engineered the cross endorsement and in some political circles it is believed that the cross endorsement is one of many factors that played a pivotal role in Simmons' narrow general election victory. Fahan is also known for telling family and friends he is proud to have actively participated in electing the first woman mayor of his place of birth, Stamford, CT.

In August 2022 a state party caucus was held in a community center in Guilford, CT in which Robert Hotaling won the Independent Party's nomination for governor. Republican Bob Stefanowski who was seeking the Independent Party cross endorsement found electors friendly to him with legal standing in the Independent Party to bring a lawsuit against Telesca and the Independent Party State Central Committee complaining that the party chair, Mike Telesca, violated party bylaws in breaking a 79-79 tie between Hotaling and Stefanowski that gave the gubernatorial nomination to Hotaling. Telesca and the Independent Party were represented in court by preeminent election attorney Bill Bloss. It was Telesca's contention that he did not break a tie and vote twice but instead in his capacity as Chair called the vote in favor of Hotaling reflecting the will and recommendation of the party's State Central Committee. Fahan and Chip Beckett, the Independent Party nominee for Lt. Governor, sat together in support of Telesca while he took the witness stand. State Superior Court Judge Cesar A. Noble ruled in favor of the Independent Party stating in his decision that state law gives broad discretion to minor parties in the manner in which they endorse their candidates. Fahan has commented that politics is a game of inches and that he spent most days of the week for several months prior to the caucus strategizing with his colleagues on putting all the pieces in place to secure the nomination for Hotaling.

Fahan has developed a reputation as the "go to" political advisor in Connecticut. He has recently made public statements and spoke at a press conference in support of John Gomes for Mayor of Bridgeport, CT as the local Independent Party nominee for the new court ordered general election there. Fahan believes he once again can play role of kingmaker by intervening and making his mark in the Gomes campaign. Fahan believes a Gomes victory on the Independent Party line would have a profound and positive impact not only for Bridgeport but for the rest of Connecticut and quite possibly beyond. He believes Connecticut Democrats will have great political regrets in their continued support of the current incumbent Democratic Mayor Joe Ganim as the absentee ballot scandal there continues to ensnarl the mayor as investigations by the State Elections Enforcement Commission are widespread and will continue.

References

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