Republican chairman will run for New London mayor

Vogel says strong voice needed to oppose Democratic candidate

New London — Republican Town Committee Chairman Bill Vogel confirmed Tuesday that he will seek his party’s endorsement as a candidate for mayor.

“I want to make sure there is a strong Republican voice out there in this campaign,” he said.

Vogel’s entrance into the race will likely make it a threeway contest.

City Democrats nominated City Councilor Michael Passero Tuesday night, while Republicans will hold their town committee meeting today.

Vogel said he has already informed members of the Republican Town Committee that he is seeking their support.

Incumbent Democratic Mayor Daryl Justin Finizio is also planning to run.

Both Democrats had vowed to wage a primary if they were not endorsed by the town committee.

Vogel spent 24 years in the Navy and was the commissioning captain of the submarine USS Groton.

Vogel has spent more than seven years as the committee chairman in New London and also serves on the Citizens Advisory Committee. He is the owner and chief developer of V-Tech Inc., an iPhone app and website design and development company.

Before his move to New London, Vogel served for eight years as the Republican Town Committee chairman in Ledyard, where he also served as a member of the Board of Education.

Vogel said his campaign platform is focused on fiscal responsibility with an attention to taxes, budgets, revenues, bonding and capital project plans.

He said he is an advocate of the magnet school system but added “the money situation is a little cloudy right now on how much we are getting from out-of-district students.”

Vogel said if elected mayor he will insure that all department head appointments will be “qualified people.”

He said he intends to foster economic development and seek charter revisions that include a measure to lower from six to five the number of City Council members needed to override a mayoral veto.

Win or lose, Vogel said he and other Republican nominees to open City Council and school board seats can help to sway policy.

Vogel is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and spent 24 years in the Navy, including service as the commissioning captain of the USS Groton

(SSN694). He retired as a captain in 1982.

Vogel also worked for Northeast Utilities where he said he managed a $500 million nuclear operation budget. He was an engineering manager at Millstone 1, licensed as a senior reactor operator and part of a project management team that commissioned Millstone 3.