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Politics & Government

Westport's Obsitnik Seeks GOP Nod to Run for House

Obsitnik says he decided to run for office "because I can no longer stand by and watch the status quo politics continue to lead us away from the American Dream."

Westport businessman Steve Obsitnik is officially seeking the Republican nomination to run for the 4th Congressional District seat next year.

The seat is currently held by two-term Democrat Jim Himes.

On the home page of his campaign website, Obsitnik says he decided to run for office “because I can no longer stand by and watch the status quo politics continue to lead us away from the American Dream.”

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"We need an optimist and leader who knows that we can revitalize our economy, create results-based policies, and hold Washington accountable,” he states. “My background in business, education and the military makes me uniquely able to tackle these very real problems that affect both our district and our nation.”

Obsitnik is a member of the Republican Town Committee from District 9, other than that he has not has served on any local board or commissions, according to reports. He is CEO of Quintel, a provider of wireless infrastructure to mobile operators in the U.S., Europe and Asia. He previously held management positions at SRI International (formerly Stanford Research Institute) and the Sarnoff Corp.

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Obsitnik is 1985 graduate of Stamford High School. After attending the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis he went on to serve five years in the Navy, including several years as a lieutenant on board a nuclear attack submarine. He was awarded eight medals during deployments to the Arctic Circle, Atlantic and Mediterranean. He also served in the Pentagon with the Bureau of Naval Personnel and Submarine Squadron Six in Charleston, S.C.

After the Navy, Obsitnik earned a master's degree in business administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, according to his campaign website.

Obsitnik is expected to officially announce his candidacy at the Westport RTC meeting this Tuesday.

In a Letter to the Editor published on last month, Obsitnik urged Westporters to vote for Tom Lasersohn, John Pincavage, and Mike Rea for the Board of Finance.

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