Groton — Robert Boris, a tech entrepreneur and City of Groton resident, announced in a news release Thursday that he is running for the 41st House District seat on a platform of diversity of thought, honest governance and eco-friendly economics.

Boris is seeking the Republican nomination for the district that, with redistricting, covers parts of Groton and Stonington.

"I am looking forward to providing the 41st District with experience, integrity, and hard work," he said in a statement. "To serve our community — to represent its citizens with energy, compassion, and entrepreneurial spirit — would be my greatest honor."

State Rep. Joe de la Cruz, D-Groton, currently holds the seat but is not seeking reelection. Groton Town Councilor Aundré Bumgardner, a Democrat, has announced a bid for the seat.

Boris thanked de la Cruz for his years of service and said he shares de la Cruz's passion to work on substance abuse issues and the opioid crisis.

Boris, 51, is the president of Groton-based Command Technology Inc. and a graduate of the London School of Economics, according to his biography. He serves on Groton's Economic Development Council and as an alternate member of the City of Groton Planning and Zoning Commission. He is a member of the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce's Energy Council and member of its Military Affairs Council, and he also is involved with the Mystic Chamber of Commerce and Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce. He made a unsuccessful bid for Town Council in the 2021 municipal election.

Boris, who is new to politics, said by phone that he's at the stage in his life in which he is able to give back on a local level some of the talents he's developed running a small business his whole life, such as building relationships in a nonpartisan way.

He said in a news release that he helped his family's information database company grow "into a global supplier of cloud computing software," which has "provided a diverse range of institutions with revolutionary software tools — i.e. Pratt and Whitney, Rolls Royce, American Airlines, the United States Air Force, and our NATO allies."

"I've experienced firsthand the challenges and opportunities businesses face here in the 41st District, which I believe is a mandatory qualification for any State Representative," he said in the release.

k.drelich@theday.com