Op-Ed | CT Legislative Democrats’ Disconnect From Ratepayers–and Reality

As published in the Wolcott Community News:

As Election Day approaches, Connecticut voters must consider a critical question: Who truly stands with everyday residents, families, and small businesses? And, who has grown so out of touch that they dismiss the struggles of those they were elected to serve?

Sadly, the actions of Connecticut’s legislative Democrats provide a clear answer. They’ve become disconnected from the concerns of suburban and rural residents—Republicans, Unaffiliated voters, and even many Democrats alike—while showing a troubling tendency to mock anyone who dares to speak up. Nowhere is this disconnect more glaring than in their response to the recent electric rate crisis.

For the average Connecticut household, electricity bills have surged nearly 30% in just the past two years. Many families are being forced to make impossible choices, cutting back on groceries, medical care, or heating their homes. Small businesses, the backbone of our economy, are barely hanging on as energy costs eat into already razor-thin margins. These skyrocketing bills are not just numbers on a page—they’re real-world burdens weighing on real people.

In September, a grassroots rally was organized at the Capitol by a concerned citizen from Clinton—someone with no background in politics, but a person whose frustrations had reached a tipping point. This rally brought together regular people—residents and small business owners—who sacrificed their time to speak out, pleading for relief from unsustainable electricity costs. They weren’t political insiders or paid operatives; they were real Connecticut citizens standing up because they had no other choice.

I was proud to stand with them, along with several of my Republican colleagues. These people deserved to be heard. But instead of showing empathy, Connecticut’s Democrat leaders chose mockery. Senate President Martin Looney and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff took to social media, ridiculing the very people they were elected to represent.

“The only thing smaller than the turnout for this political stunt is the handful of dollars the Republican bailout of utility companies will save ratepayers,” read their official statement. The post featured a screenshot of the rally, showing only a few attendees holding homemade signs. This wasn’t just dismissive—it was an outright insult to the people who gathered in good faith to express their frustrations.

To call this rally a “political stunt” is an appalling example of how disconnected these leaders are from the people they claim to represent. The citizens who came to the Capitol are facing energy bills that threaten their livelihoods, and their concerns were met with mockery. The reality is that many Connecticut families are struggling to make ends meet in an economy where inflation has already driven up the cost of everything. To belittle their frustration is wrong, it’s shameful.

But the mockery didn’t stop there. Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff took to X (formerly Twitter) to further deride the event, claiming, “Whether it’s Trump or Connecticut’s Republicans, they never have a plan.” This statement, designed to score cheap political points, is not only dismissive but also a blatant falsehood.

In truth, Republicans have had a plan since 2023, when we introduced legislation aimed at directly addressing the electric rate crisis. For two legislative sessions, we presented concrete solutions designed to bring immediate relief to ratepayers. We proposed reforms that would improve transparency, increase competition, and hold utility companies accountable—measures that could have prevented the massive rate hikes residents now face. Yet, Democrats in the legislature have consistently blocked these efforts.

The majority’s refusal to act has left residents facing some of the highest electricity rates in the nation, and the only response from the Democrats has been mockery and misrepresentation.

Let’s be clear: if the Democratic majority had worked with us to pass these reforms, Connecticut residents wouldn’t be facing crippling energy bills today. Instead of partnering on a serious, bipartisan effort to address the issue, they chose to play politics and rewrite history.

Their claim that Republicans “never have a plan” is not just misleading—it’s an outright lie. It’s a cynical attempt to obscure their failure to act, while residents are left paying the price.

This kind of behavior is part of a broader and deeply troubling trend. Rather than address the legitimate concerns of everyday citizens, legislative Democrats have chosen to belittle and smear anyone who challenges their narrative. We’ve seen this time and again, not just with energy costs but across the board. When faced with criticism, their strategy is to distract, deflect, and distort.

I’ve been on the receiving end of these tactics myself. In a recent attack, Democrats twisted my words and spread false claims about my legislative record. They even went as far as suggesting I blocked a proposed study on hospice care and even suggested I believe in witchcraft—a claim so absurd it’s clear it was only meant to mislead. They relied on a segment from HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”, which edited and cherry-picked my statements to entertain his left-leaning audience while distorting my actual positions.

Senate Democrats eagerly latched onto this misinformation, even posting about it on their taxpayer-funded blog, where they accused me of blocking critical legislation.

This is the playbook: use partisan media to misrepresent facts, and then amplify those distortions to attack opponents. But what does this say about the Democratic leadership? Instead of engaging in honest debate or addressing the real concerns of voters, they rely on deception and deflection. It’s not just me they target; it’s anyone who dares to challenge their narrative.

This kind of deception has no place in Connecticut politics, and it underscores a harsh truth: legislative Democrats don’t respect their constituents. Whether they’re dismissing a grassroots rally as a “stunt” or spreading lies about their political opponents, they are showing you who they really are.

Connecticut deserves better. The people of this state deserve leaders who respect their constituents and engage with their concerns, not mock and dismiss them. This isn’t just a matter of political rhetoric—it’s about basic decency and governance. When families are struggling to keep their lights on, our leaders should be working to find solutions, not using taxpayer-funded platforms to ridicule them.

I take my role as your representative very seriously. I was entrusted to be your voice in Hartford, and I will always listen to your concerns and fight for your best interests. I believe every voice matters, and I will continue to work tirelessly to address the challenges facing Connecticut families and small businesses.

This November, we face a clear choice. Do you want leaders who mock your struggles and dismiss your concerns, or do you want representatives who will stand with you, fight for you, and never take your trust for granted? We deserve a government that serves its people, not one that belittles them. Together, we can chart a new course for Connecticut—one where every citizen’s voice is heard, and every family and business’s struggles are taken seriously.