Democrats Nominate Giannini In 28th District

By Steve Bigham

Felix A. Giannini is the latest Democrat to step up to try and loosen the Republicans’ longstanding grip on the 28th District State Senate seat. He hopes to defeat incumbent John McKinney in November.

Mr Giannini received the unanimous nomination of his party earlier this month.

The 28th District covers Newtown, Fairfield, Easton, and Monroe.

Mr Giannini, age 43, is president/owner of Lexco, Inc., of Fairfield, which specializes in the design, installation, and service of low voltage electronic systems. He also owns Lexmedia Corporation, which specializes in custom programming, software, and Web development.

He follows in the footsteps of Fairfield resident Tom Ganim, who was unsuccessful in his two bids for the 28th District seat. Mr McKinney took over the seat two years ago after succeeding fellow Republican Fred Lovegrove, who held the seat for more than a decade. Newtown Democrat Gary Fetzer made two unsuccessful bids to win the seat during Mr Lovegrove’s tenure.

Mr Giannini believes he has what it takes to pull off the upset.

“I think I have a good chance at doing it. I believe that the more than 10 years I have as a very active volunteer will help me. I have a strong foundation for doing very good work within the district,” he said Tuesday.

Mr Giannini, a father of three children, has been active in the Fairfield PTA and other school committees. He also volunteers in the classroom and has coached an Odyssey of the Mind team for the past three years.

The candidate calls himself a moderate Democrat with an open-minded approach who supports both education and programs for senior and disabled citizens on fixed incomes. Mr Giannini is also a strong supporter of open space and the environment.

“I fully realize that housing development puts a negative burden on the school system and ultimately never pays for itself,” he said.

Mr Giannini spent four years in the US Navy (active duty), where he studied both electronics and nuclear power. He also attended Manhattan College where he studied physics, English, French, and religion.