Soon after the publication of my Jan. 21 column, “Crowded field does not bode well for state,” concerning the 2018 race for governor in Connecticut, I got an email from the campaign of one candidate in that crowded field, Republican Tim Herbst.

His campaign spokesman challenged the accuracy of my description of Herbst as the “hard-right leaning former first selectman of Trumbull.” It wasn’t the first selectman part he had trouble with. The challenge came with an offer to sit down with the candidate, and last Tuesday columnist David Collins, Publisher Gary Farrugia and I did so.

So, I asked the candidate, how would he describe his place on the political spectrum?

“I’m a Tim Herbst Republican,” he said. “I am my own person, someone who tends to be fiscally conservative, but I also believe it is important to be socially inclusive.”

He then offered up Gov. Scott Walker’s fight to control labor costs in Wisconsin as an example of taking a tough stand when needed. In 2011, Walker’s call to take away the ability of public sector unions to bargain collectively over pensions and health care, limit pay raises to the rate of inflation, and require public unions to frequently recertify, generated massive protests. The proposals also won approval.

By blue Connecticut standards, Walker is “hard-right.” But dropping that name signals a candidate ready to play serious hardball with the state public labor unions. Conservative voters in a Republican primary will love it.

Reminded that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and the Democratic legislature, in return for concessions, extended to 2027 the state employee contract covering pensions and health care, Herbst responded he would try to reopen it to find savings.

If the unions were not willing to renegotiate, Herbst said he would ask a court permission to unilaterally amend the contract, citing the state’s dire fiscal position. There is some precedent for such an action, but for the most part courts have been reluctant to bail governments out of contract obligations when they have the option of raising taxes to find the money.

Herbst also referenced Republican Mitt Romney for his stewardship of Massachusetts when governor there and Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo, a Democrat, for her pension reform success in that state, as leadership examples.

He started his politics young. Now 37, Herbst was only 29 when elected first selectman of Trumbull. After eight years and repeat re-elections, he opted not to run in 2017, focusing on his bid for governor. He proved in 2014 he can run a statewide race, losing by just 18,780 votes out of 1,047,703 cast in his bid to unseat Treasurer Denise Nappier.

In 2016, Herbst started building the party support that he hopes will lead to a strong showing at the Republican convention, forming a political action committee – TIMPAC – to support Republican candidates for the state Senate and the House.

Herbst said that if elected he would ask the legislature to eliminate the income tax for anyone making $75,000 or less, end the business entity and estate taxes, and exempt retirement income from taxation. He is far less detailed in explaining where he would cut spending to make up for the tax reductions. The state already faces chronic deficits.

Herbst would seek appointment of inspector generals to find waste and abuse, a good idea.

As for an anti-Trump vote hurting state Republican candidates in November, Herbst says he’s not worried, noting Trump lost Connecticut in 2016, yet Republicans picked up seats in the House and Senate.

Perhaps, but I think things would be much easier for this young Republican, or whoever gets his party’s nomination, without the Trump factor.

Paul Choiniere is the editorial page editor.