Two Republicans Announce Bids for Congress

Stamford resident Chris Meek announced his bid for Congress in the Fourth District on Thursday, and earlier this week, for the seat.

The office is currently held by two-term .

Chris Meek of Stamford

Meek, founder of START Now!, a Stamford-based non-profit to help homeowners avoid foreclosure, and a trader of equity derivatives for Goldman Sachs, filed his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission some time ago but had yet to report raising any money, according to a report in the Hartford Courant.

"I am running a different kind of campaign," Meek said in a press release announcing his candidacy. "Too many politicians say they're listening to voters but forget their voices when they hit the Capitol steps."

In an , Meek said he was still mulling the idea of running.

"At this point I'm still considering it," Meek said in the interview. "I'm leaning toward getting in but am still talking about the possible effects of it on my family."

As per the article, in addition to START Now! Meek is also founder of , a non-profit that sends basic items to soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and Stamford Young Republicans, which became Our CT Grand Young Party.

Meek began his offensive against Himes before officially announcing his candidacy. In a July 29 piece published in the Stamford Advocate, he took Himes to task for helping launch a program called Get Home Now!

Liz Kurantowicz, former chief of staff and finance director for the state Republican party and a former Rell staffer, is reportedly working on Meek’s campaign.

Meek reportedly moved to Stamford with his family in 2001.

Steve Obsitnik of Westport

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.”

"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.

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.

Editor's note: Parts of this article were published originally by and .