Thomas Gilmer: GOP candidate drops out of primary after being arrested for assault hours ahead of vote

'With severity of the accusations' the Connecticut Republican ends campaign, state party says

(Wethersfield Police Department)

Hours before polls opened for the state's primary election, police in Connecticut arrested a Republican congressional candidate on charges stemming from an alleged domestic assault in July.

Thomas Gilmer, a primary candidate for the US House of Representatives, was charged with second-degree strangulation and first-degree unlawful restraint, according to the Wethersfield Police Department, which made the arrest with the assistance of the Madison Police Department on Monday night.

He was released on a $5,000 bond. He abruptly ended his campaign and suspended his social media accounts and website following his arrest.

Mr Gilmer, endorsed by the state's Republican Party, was set to challenge incumbent Democrat Joe Courtney, who entered office in 2007 in a district encompassing the eastern part of the state. He is also a member of the House Armed Services Committee and Committee on Education and the Workforce.

"With the severity of the accusations, Mr Gilmer has ended his campaign," the state's Republican Party announced on Tuesday.

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Remaining in the state's Republican primary race is Justin Anderson, a former corrections officer and Army National Guard veteran who served in Afghanistan.

Mr Gilmer's name remains on the ballot. Thousands of votes from absentee ballots have already been cast.

The winner in Tuesday's race will face Congressman Courtney in November.

"Unfortunately, my primary opponent focused on slinging mud, without regard to the truth," Mr Gilmer said in a statement to local media. "Now, I find myself in the position where I must put my family and our shared Republican values before my own interests. I cannot, in good conscience, move forward in this campaign while I am simultaneously forced to clear my name. And, clear my name I will."