Connecticut Republican pitches centrist path as way to win House seat

Connecticut state Sen. Andrew Roraback (R) says if his party wants to win back Rep. Chris Murphy's (D-Conn.) House seat, it should nominate a centrist.

"I'm cut from a bit of a different cloth than some of the other people looking at this seat," Roraback told The Ballot Box. "I'm as fiscally conservative as they come, but I'm a social moderate, which was once a hallmark of the New England Republican brand."

Roraback hasn't entered the race but is considering a run.

The last Republican to occupy the district was longtime Rep. Nancy Johnson, who lost her seat to Murphy in 2006 as the ranks of centrist House Republicans were all but eliminated.

"My hope is that the brand will have a resurgence," he said. "Call me the Mike Castle of northwest Connecticut."

Castle was a very popular centrist Republican who represented Delaware's lone House seat. Castle, despite being a Republican in a blue state, was considered safe in his long-held House seat. When Castle ran for the Senate in 2010, he lost to a Tea Party-backed challenger in the GOP primary.

The centrist angle could hurt Roraback in the primary, too. But the state lawmaker sounds serious about a possible bid.

"The shrillness you see on the extremes of the political equation today doesn't serve voters," he said. "They deserve better."

Roraback said that as of now he's focused on his job in the state senate and expects to make a decision on the race in the coming months.

Connecticut Republicans say they expect former state Sen. Sam Caligiuri (R) to make another run for the seat. He was the party's nominee against Murphy in 2010 and came within striking distance on Election Day.

There could also be a rematch of the three-way GOP primary for the seat last cycle, which included Caligiuri, businessman Mark Greenberg and veteran Justin Bernier. Both Greenberg and Bernier are considering bids in 2012.

On the Democratic side, Connecticut House Speaker Chris Donovan is a rumored candidate, but he's not expected to get into the race quickly. Other potential candidates include local Selectman Mary Glassman and Audrey Blondin, a member of the state's central Democratic committee.

Murphy is running for retiring Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) seat.