Simmons Back In It. Sort of.

Simmons lost his party’s nomination to former wrestling executive Linda McMahon.  And while his strong showing at the convention gave him every right to fight in a primary, he said it would be nearly impossible to beat McMahon and her money.  So, in May, he decided... 

  

“To scale back the campaign. We’ll release staff to pursue other opportunities and we will curtail campaign activities.”

 

But now, two months later, there’s this.  A public service announcement from Simmons.

 

“In the Republican primary on August tenth, you do have a choice. I'm Rob Simmons, I'm still on the ballot, and I approved this message.”

 

So let’s recap.  Simmons sort of got out of the campaign in May.  And now, he’s sort of getting back in.  All of which leaves Ben Davol a little puzzled.  

 

“It’s sort of a problem here." 

 

Davol is a freelance writer, a former Republican campaign operative, and a Simmons friend.  He says in politics you need to be in it to win it.  But with Simmons, it’s not even clear if he’s in it.

 

"You need to stand up and say, ‘I’m running for congress,’ or stand up and say, ‘I believe respectfully, that I’m the best candidate for the Republican Party in the State of Connecticut to run against Richard Blumenthal.’  But this idea to stand up and say, ‘Well, I kinda wanna shoulda coulda…’ It’s not going to win the day.”

 

Recent poll numbers from Quinnipiac University show Simmons trailing McMahon significantly.  But that same poll shows him doing about as well as she does in the general election against their common enemy – Democrat Attorney General Richard Blumenthal.

 

In an interview with WNPR, Simmons says the primary race is one he'd love to win. 

 

COHEN: Are you still going to be out campaigning? 

 

SIMMONS: Well, I've been out campaigning for my fellow Republicans since the convention.

 

COHEN: No, but I mean for yourself.

 

SIMMONS: For myself? I will put out my public service ad and see what the response is.

 

The primary is August 10.