David Cappiello

Cappiello is a lifelong resident of the city of Danbury, Connecticut. He is a second-generation American, with his grandparents having migrated to the United States from Italy and Lebanon. In 1964, Cappiello’s father started Cappiello Jewelers, which remains to this day a family owned business on Main Street in Danbury. Senator Cappiello frequently cites his small business background as a major force in his political philosophy.

Cappiello is a graduate of Immaculate High School and attended Western Connecticut State University, both in Danbury. He was married in 2002 to Christine Ciarleglio, and the couple resides in Danbury with their two sons Jack Reagan and Jude Francis.{{Cite web |url=http://www.senaterepublicans.ct.gov/sen_info/cappiello.aspx |title=Official Senate Biography {{!}} Connecticut Senate Republicans |access-date=2008-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080601150422/http://www.senaterepublicans.ct.gov/sen_info/cappiello.aspx |archive-date=2008-06-01 |url-status=dead }}

He is currently a mortgage loan officer for Flagstar Bank in Danbury.

Cappiello’s political career began in 1993 when at the age of 25, he was elected to the Danbury Common Council.{{Cite web |url=http://www.senaterepublicans.ct.gov/sen_info/cappiello.aspx |title=Official State Senate Biography {{!}} Connecticut Senate Republicans |access-date=2008-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080601150422/http://www.senaterepublicans.ct.gov/sen_info/cappiello.aspx |archive-date=2008-06-01 |url-status=dead }}

In 1994, he won election to the Connecticut House of Representatives in a contest for the 138th District seat being vacated by Republican Mark Nielsen, who was running for the State Senate. He was easily re-elected to the State House in 1996.{{Cite web |url=http://www.senaterepublicans.ct.gov/sen_photos/cappiello/media_kit/bio.pdf |title=Official Senate Senate Press Kit {{!}} Connecticut Senate Republicans |access-date=2008-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080910174349/http://www.senaterepublicans.ct.gov/sen_photos/cappiello/media_kit/bio.pdf |archive-date=2008-09-10 |url-status=dead }}

In 1998, Cappiello announced he was vacating his seat in the Connecticut House to run for the State Senate in the 24th District, where Mark Nielsen was retiring to challenge freshman Congressman James H. Maloney. He defeated Democrat Paul Estefan in a landslide, 62.24% to 37.76%, and was re-elected in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006.{{Cite web |url=http://www.sots.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?a=3179&Q=392194&SOTSNav_GID=1846) |title=1998 Connecticut State Senate Election Results {{!}} Connecticut Secretary Of The State |access-date=July 10, 2008 |archive-date=August 11, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080811191604/http://www.sots.ct.gov/sots/cwp/view.asp?a=3179&Q=392194&SOTSNav_GID=1846) |url-status=dead }}

In the legislature, Cappiello’s priorities included open space and environmental preservation, support for non-profit service providers, public safety, and health care reform. His legislative accomplishments include the state preservation of {{convert|130|acre|km2}} of open space land at the Bogus Farm in Bethel, a comprehensive legislative review of the State’s Homeland Security preparedness, and a law that requires all newborn babies be screened for life-threatening metabolic disorders. He also led the successful effort in 2008 to thwart a scheduled increase in the state’s gas tax. In 2006, Cappiello was honored by the AARP for his leadership in preserving prescription drug coverage for thousands of Connecticut senior citizens.{{Cite web |url=http://www.senaterepublicans.ct.gov/press/cappiello/2006/120806.html |title=Connecticut Senate Republicans: David Cappiello Press Release |access-date=2008-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516092927/http://www.senaterepublicans.ct.gov/press/cappiello/2006/120806.html |archive-date=2008-05-16 |url-status=dead }}

A strong fiscal conservative, Cappiello was tapped in 2005 to serve as the ranking Republican member of the General Assembly’s Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for writing the state’s biennial budget.[http://www.senaterepublicans.ct.gov/press/cappiello/121304_3.html Connecticut Senate Republicans: Senator Cappiello Press Release]{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

He is a fierce proponent of the state’s spending cap and a vocal critic of Connecticut's high tax burden, and has voted in opposition to four state budgets due to tax and spending increases. As ranking member of the budget panel, Cappiello was instrumental in the successful Republican effort of 2007 to pass a "no tax increase" budget, despite initial opposition from legislative Democrats.{{Cite web |url=http://davidcappiello.com/dc/content/view/23/36/ |title=Committee To Elect David Cappiello For Congress: Congressional Campaign Press Release |access-date=2008-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905141212/http://davidcappiello.com/dc/content/view/23/36/ |archive-date=2008-09-05 |url-status=dead }}

Cappiello is heavily involved in many civic and cultural organizations, including the Danbury Lebanon American Club, Amerigo Vespucci Lodge, Danbury Lions Club, Danbury Land Trust, American Red Cross of Western Connecticut, Portuguese Cultural Center, and St. Anthony’s Maronite Church.

On April 18, 2008, David Cappiello filed a campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission to challenge Democratic U.S. Representative Chris Murphy.[https://web.archive.org/web/20080919091851/http://time-blog.com/real_clear_politics/2007/04/connecticut_5.html?xid=rss-rcp Real Clear Politics: David Cappiello To Challenge Chris Murphy For House Seat]

On May 10, 2008, Cappiello was officially chosen as the Republican nominee at the Fifth District nominating convention in Southbury.| New Britain Herald: David Cappiello Nominated To Run Against Chris Murphy, May 12, 2008]

Cappiello’s candidacy drew the attention of the National Republican Congressional Committee and political observers.

The Washington Post’s political blogger Chris Cillizza named Cappiello one of the "Top 2008 Recruits",[http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2007/08/friday_house_line.html Top 2008 GOP House Recruits | The Washington Post] and in October 2007, Cappiello was included in the NRCC’s Challengers Helping Obtain the Majority Program (CHOMP) {{Cite web |url=http://www.nrcc.org/news/view_article.asp?id=584Top |title=2008 Cappiello Named To CHOMP Program {{!}} National Republican Congressional Committee |access-date=2008-07-10 |archive-url=http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20080811191604/http://www.nrcc.org/news/view_article.asp?id=584Top |archive-date=2008-08-11 |url-status=dead }} to help raise funds for select candidates challenging incumbent Democratic members of Congress.

On June 9, 2008, Cappiello announced his campaign had raised over $1,000,000 for his challenge to Murphy.{{Cite web |url=http://davidcappiello.com/dc/content/view/164/40/ |title=Congressional Campaign Committee Press Release {{!}} Committee To Elect David Cappiello For Congress |access-date=2008-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905141235/http://davidcappiello.com/dc/content/view/164/40/ |archive-date=2008-09-05 |url-status=dead }}

During the campaign, Cappiello focused on economic issues, both in his own policy statements and in his criticisms of his opponent’s record. He supported eliminating earmarks from the federal budget and extending the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts [http://www.countytimes.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19471850&BRD=2303&PAG=461&dept_id=478976&rfi=6 Cappiello Takes Stance On Excessive Earmarks | Litchfield (CT) County Times]

Cappiello criticized Murphy on both accounts, pointing to Murphy’s failure to support a Congressional earmark moratorium despite claims during his 2006 campaign that he’d support ending the practice.{{Cite web |url=http://davidcappiello.com/dc/content/view/95/40/ |title=Congressional Campaign Press Release {{!}} Committee To Elect David Cappiello For Congress |access-date=2008-07-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081008205245/http://davidcappiello.com/dc/content/view/95/40/ |archive-date=2008-10-08 |url-status=dead }}

Cappiello supported lifting the ban on offshore oil and gas exploration, increased construction of nuclear power plants, and reform of the oil futures market in addition to conservation and renewable energy measures,| New Britain Herald, July 1, 2008] calling American reliance on foreign oil "a matter of personal, economic, and national security.".| The News-Times (Danbury, CT), July 3, 2008]

On Election Day, Cappiello was defeated by the incumbent Murphy.{{Cite web |url=http://www.sots.ct.gov/sots/lib/sots/electionservices/electionresults/2008_election_results/2008_representative_in_congress.pdf |title=11/04/2008-General: Election results for Representative in Congress |access-date=2010-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203051504/http://www.sots.ct.gov/sots/lib/sots/electionservices/electionresults/2008_election_results/2008_representative_in_congress.pdf |archive-date=2009-02-03 |url-status=dead }}

• Connecticut's 5th congressional district
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2008

{{Reflist}}

• {{C-SPAN|90417}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080601150422/http://www.senaterepublicans.ct.gov/sen_info/cappiello.aspx State Senator David Cappiello], Official CT State Senate Website
• [http://www.davidcappiello.com/ Committee To Elect David Cappiello For Congress] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723113925/http://davidcappiello.com/ |date=July 23, 2008 }} Official Campaign Website

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Category:1968 births

Category:Living people

Category:American Maronites

Category:Republican Party Connecticut state senators

Category:Republican Party members of the Connecticut House of Representatives

Category:American people of Italian descent

Category:American politicians of Lebanese descent

Category:Western Connecticut State University alumni

Category:Politicians from Danbury, Connecticut

Category:21st-century members of the Connecticut General Assembly