Recent Quinnipiac graduate Michael Vitali stepped up to the plate Wednesday night, accepting the Republican nomination for State Representative in the 85th Legislative District. The caucus was held at Brothers Restaurant in Wallingford with a healthy turnout of about 45 supporters that filled the private room reserved for the event.

The current officeholder, Mary Mushinsky, has not been challenged since 2000 when current Dept. of Consumer Protection Commissioner Jerry Farrell took her on. Vitali has virtually been a lifelong resident of Wallingford excluding his time at Quinnipiac University in nearby Hamden and a brief stint after college.

Vitali said in his nominating speech:

Unfortunately, our sense of community and common purpose has not transferred to our representation in Hartford. The State of Connecticut is facing nearly the same issues that we have faced as a town. Regrettably, our representatives in state government have done nothing but squabble and waste time, while simultaneously promoting their own issues above the issues that affect us all.

Vitali feels Ms. Mushinsky is out of touch with her community and her emphasis on allocating precious tax dollars for projects like “fishways” clearly show that he is on to something.