News + Press

Thursday night’s GOP gubernatorial debate made one thing clear: Connecticut Republicans remain 100% all-in on catering to the MAGA base. 

Betsy McCaughey veered wildly between extreme talking points, Ryan Fazio touted his hard-right votes in the State Senate, and Erin Stewart didn’t bother to show up.

Betsy McCaughey called herself a “red-meat Republican” who would eliminate the state income tax entirely – forcing devastating cuts to health care and schools, while spawning massive property tax hikes in all of Connecticut’s 169 towns.

She described the Governor paying down pension liability debt, saving our kids and grandkids billions in future payments, as “extorting – I could say raping – the public.”

Quote of the night: “I am running to be your Ron DeSantis!”

Ryan Fazio bragged about being attacked by Democrats on his recent votes – where he tried to block a bipartisan budget deal and sided with private equity over Connecticut seniors and children. 

Fazio highlighted his MAHA vote against basic vaccine safety standards, but didn’t specifically mention his vote outlawing guns designed to be easily converted into machine guns. He has repeatedly attacked CT’s common-sense gun safety laws as “beyond the pale.”

Quote of the night: “I was the very first or second one to testify against the medical mandate bill taking away people's medical freedoms in this state. At every turn in the state legislature, I've stood up for our constitutional rights and personal freedoms because I believe that the rights and freedoms written into our founding documents, upon which this country was founded, are worth fighting for, and are worth saving."

Erin Stewart, who has been dogged by continued questions about tax corruption, failure to report bribe offers, and a self-awarded, legally baseless pension, publicly turned down all debates. Fazio has already called on her to “answer for the rampant failures on [her] watch” while McCaughey labeled her “Scarin’ Erin” for her refusal to attend.

Quote of the night: N/A.

Statement from CT Dems Spokesperson Ian Clarke:

“Last night’s debate demonstrated one thing: these are not ordinary Republicans. This primary field is locked in a fight to see who can be the most extreme. Whether on guns, vaccines, or ethics, they are all 100% committed to advancing “red-meat conservative Republican” ideology in Trump’s GOP and earning his endorsement.”