With much national-level ink being spent these days in discussion of the big ‘online gap’ between Republican and Democratic candidates, it is worth noting that in Connecticut, the Republican candidates for U.S. Congress across the state have made significant investments in time, money, and energy into developing the Internet as a tool for their election campaigns.

Joe Visconti, First Congressional District - Challenging U.S. Rep. John Larson

The First Congressional District has been a tough district for Republican candidates since, well, the 1950s.  Many good candidates - like 2008 Prescott Bush Award winner Wally Barnes of Bristol - haven’t been able to break the Democratic stranglehold on the district.  The much vaunted Kevin O’Connor ran a terrific campaign in 1998, but still got only 42% of the vote.  Since ‘98, the GOP has struggled to get quality candidates to take on this uphill climb.

2008 candidate Joe Visconti, a West Hartford Town Councilor, is perhaps the best Republican candidate since O’Connor.  He’s been visible at numerous fairs and parades, active across the First District, and has put together an informative website to help facilitate the campaign - www.viscontiforcongress.org.  Easily the best Republican website ever in the First Congressional District, the Visconti campaign keeps a good site with events, photos, and plenty of interesting news items.

Sean Sullivan, Second Congressional District - Challenging U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney 

After hosting the closest race in the nation in 2006, the ‘Big Deuce’ will again be a battleground in 2008 as retired submariner Sean Sullivan challenges Joe Courtney to represent 65 Connectict towns in the House of Representatives.

The Sullivan effort has come along nicely on the ’series of tubes’.  In particular, the campaign has done a great deal with YouTube videos - using them as a way for people all across the 2nd District to listen to the candidate himself talk about the problems people face and what needs to be done to fix them.  Check out the main website at www.sullivan2008.com.

Boaz “Bo” ItsHaky, Third Congressional Distrct - Challenging U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro

The Third District is much like the First District - a tough slog for Republican candidates.  U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro has taken advantage of this ability by becoming the Ethanol Queen of New England - because lumping food supply and fuel supply into the same resource pool always seemed like a terrific idea. 

Republican candidate Boaz “Bo”ItsHaky has a very unique story to tell to the residents of the Third District, and he is quickly ramping up his online efforts to do so.  A regular commenter on blogs like Connecticut Local Politics, it came as no surprise that Bo’s campaign website is set up as a blog/vlog format - so that he can facilitate interaction between voters and the candidate.

Perhaps the most interesting intersection of Bo’s unique story and online persona came yesterday on this blog, when he added his own experience with the victims of terror, which can be found here.  More about Bo can be found at www.boforcongress.com. 

U.S. Congressman Christopher Shays, Fourth Congressional District - Challenged by Jim Himes

A frequent target for Fairfield County’s basement dwellers, Congressman Christopher Shays has built an aggressive e-campaign for the 2008 effort that is far superior to his previous accomplishments in the venue.  The Shays campaign overhaul their website earlier this year, rolling out a sleeker format that makes full use of YouTube, Facebook, and more.

In the ever-important Facebook Friends race, Congressman Shays has more than double that of Himes - boasting 939 friends to 439 pals for Himes.

With a boatload of cash coming into the district from Washington, Jim Himes will make sure that Shays has another strong challenge.  But Shays has thrived in the Fourth District, having represented it in Washington since 1987, and surviving 2006 was no small feat.  With the new website and the high energy that always characterizes the Shays campaign, 2008 should be a good year for New England’s only Republican Congressman.  Learn more at www.shays2008.com.

State Senator David Cappiello, Fifth Congressional District - Challenging U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy

State Sen. David Cappiello has already waged an impressive race in the Fifth Congressional District, consistently posting strong fundraising numbers and drawing national attention from political publications that characterize him as one of the best chances for a successful Republican challenge in the nation.

The Cappiello e-Campaign has been equally positive, with offerings on MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube in addition to their highly interactive website.  They recently posted a YouTube video critical of their opponent, U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy, for his position on offshore drilling.

You can find the Cappiello campaign online at www.davidcappiello.com.