HYDE ENDS BID FOR CONGRESS
Controversial candidate Robert Hyde withdraws from race against U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes.
HARTFORD – Republican Robert F. Hyde, the embattled Simsbury landscaper who vaulted into national attention concerning the American ambassador to Ukraine, says he is withdrawing from his controversial run for Congress.
In email exchanges with The Courant, Hyde said he is backing away from the battle against Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes of Wolcott and Republican challenger David X. Sullivan of New Fairfield.
“I’m withdrawing from the race,” Hyde said Friday. “Sullivan outraised me, and I want the nominee not to have to primary. Only chance to win.”
Hyde was the subject of national attention on CNN, MSNBC and other outlets after text messages released by Congress in January showed his dealings with Lev Parnas, a close associate of former New
York City mayor
Rudy Giuliani, who is President Donald Trump’s personal attorney. The exchanges with Parnas seemed to indicate surveillance of the U.S. ambassador to
Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, including her precise movements and whether her computer had been turned off. Yovanovitch became an important figure in the impeachment inquiry into Trump.
Hyde, a strong supporter of Trump who frequently posted pictures on social media with the president and those in his inner circle, later told The Courant that he had been joking.
Hyde has been under longtime pressure from fellow Republicans to withdraw from the race. That pressure started in December after Hyde tweeted a crude remark about U.S.
Sen. Kamala Harris’ decision to drop out of the race for president. The tweet was later removed.
When the tweet came to light, House Republican leader Themis Klarides of Derby called on Hyde to step down.
“He needs to end his bid for Congress,” Klarides said. “Connecticut Republicans cannot tolerate this and won’t.”
Klarides said at the time that the party should rally behind Sullivan.
“We already have a great candidate for that seat in David Sullivan, a career federal prosecutor,” she said. “He’s a great guy. He’s the person who got me into politics in the first place. He’s been a friend of mine for 25 years at least. He’s a straight arrow. He just retired from the U.S. attorney’s office in June. I think he’ll be a great Congressman.”
J.R. Romano, chairman of the Connecticut Republican Party, described Hyde’s comments as “vile” and said they undermined the party’s efforts of electing women such as Klarides and New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart.
Hyde has since referred to Romano as “J.R. RINO” — a derisive term in the party that means Republican In Name Only.
Gabe Rosenberg, the chief spokesman for Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, said that no official paperwork needs to be filed to verify a candidate’s withdrawal.
“Once they are on the ballot, which can’t happen until the convention, or after if they get petitions, they would have to withdraw in writing,” Rosenberg said Friday, “but before they are on the ballot, there is nothing for them to remove themselves from the perspective of the Secretary of the State.”
Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@ courant.com.