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“The Connecticut Republican Nominating Convention was a sham,” Wolf said Wednesday in statement. "Party insiders and professional politicians – the Connecticut establishment – arm-twisted and bullied their way to securing the nomination for one of their own. I had the votes until they took it away from me. The system is rigged.”
Wolf said he was continuing his campaign because "it is vital that the people have voice in choosing the strongest Republican nominee to beat" incumbent U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal.
“A small group of insiders should not decide the Republican nominee for Senate," Wolf said. “I believe that the people should decide. That's how it works in America and that’s why today I pulled papers to petition my way onto the ballot.”
State Rep. Dan Carter of Bethel secured the GOP endorsement at the party's convention on Monday.
But on Tuesday, Wolf took to Twitter to rail against political "insiders” whom he believes helped Carter get the nod to challenge Blumenthal.
“I wasn’t treated fairly last night,’’ Wolf said on Twitter under his handle, @AugustWolfCT. “Arm twisting from do-nothing politicians at crooked convention! Wow.”
Carter won the Republican nomination with 907 votes at the state convention on Monday in Hartford, while Wolf garnered 123 and Darien businessman Jack Orchulli got 20.
Carter, a three-term legislator and former military pilot from Bethel, entered the race in March. He also represents parts of Danbury, Newtown and Redding. Orchulli, the last candidate to enter the race, conceded defeat after the first round of Monday’s voting and urged his delegates to support Carter.
Carter thanked Orchulli on his Twitter account, calling him a “#classact”and “#standupguy.” Wolf saw things much differently.
In February, a Hartford Courant report said Wolf’s campaign had been hurt when more than 10 employees and volunteers left the campaign.
Carter faces a challenge in running against Blumenthal, the first-term senator who defeated Linda McMahon for the open Senate seat in 2010. Blumenthal, of Greenwich, served as the attorney general in Connecticut from 1991 to 2011. Reports indicated Blumenthal has amassed nearly $5 million in campaign fundraising.
Wolf, who works for works for Lebenthal Wealth Advisors, represented the United States in the 1984 Olympics in the shot put.
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