Former Gov. Rell Lends Her Name, But Not Her Presence, to GOP Unity Event

Former Gov. M. Jodi Rell has kept a low political profile since leaving office in January of 2011. But she is lending her name — though not her presence — to an event aimed at building unity in the Republican party following series of divisive primaries.

“The election this November will be so very important for our state and our nation!” Rell wrote in a note to Mitch Beck, a Monroe man who is holding what he calls a “unity rally” at his house next month. ”As Republicans we must unite in our efforts to elect more Republicans to the state House and state Senate – as well as Congress and of course the President too!!”

Excerpts of Rell’s note were posted on the group’s website. However a spokeswoman for Beck, Jenifer A. Lee, says the former governor will not be in attendance at the Aug. 18 rally.

Beck says on the website that his goal is to build party unity in the wake of the Aug. 14 primary, which will feature several nasty intra-party battles, especially the 5th Congressional District and the U.S. Senate campaign. “You can have all the ideological arguments you want, but at the end of the day, if you’re not winning elections it means nothing! Once we win, then we can debate who has the best plan to fix this mess the Democrats have made,” Beck wrote.

State Republican Party Chairman Jerry Labriola Jr. declined to comment on Beck’s event. “We are considering efforts to achieve unity in the wake of our contested primaries, which we feel would be in the best interests of the party,” Labriola said this morning.