Latest Column | ‘New Year, Hopefully a New Direction for Connecticut’ (January 2026)

By State Sen. Rob Sampson

Connecticut voters have been telling pollsters they are deeply concerned about affordability, electric rates, crime, illegal immigration, corruption, and the steady creep of woke ideology into every aspect of life. And on almost every major issue, the public is overwhelmingly, often by 80/20 margins, aligned with the Republican position. Yet that hasn’t translated into Republican election victories.

Why? Because far too many voters have been led to believe their vote for State Representative or Senator doesn’t matter. Many assume their single vote can’t change the direction of the state, or they simply don’t know where their chosen candidate or party stands on the issues that affect them most.

Take affordability. Connecticut is one of the most expensive states in America, and the ruling party’s solution is always the same: higher taxes, fees, mandates, and regulations. Electric rates? Among the highest in the nation, propped up by a “public benefits tax” that forces ratepayers to fund the political priorities of the majority party. Property taxes? Skyrocketing, because state policies push costs down onto towns while tying their hands behind their backs.

Who created this mess? The same party that’s been running the state for decades.

Crime? We’ve all seen the results of the “police accountability act” which prioritizes criminals over victims. Illegal immigration and Connecticut’s sanctuary-state status? Washington did not make those decisions. They were imposed on us by Democratic majorities in our own legislature. And yes, the Democrats really have passed laws that protect criminal aliens from being detained and removed, even after committing serious crimes. That’s not rhetoric. That’s statute.

And corruption? This past year alone would be a punchline if it weren’t so serious: grift, insider contracts, investigations, and resignations. One-party rule breeds arrogance, and arrogance breeds corruption. When those in power don’t fear losing their jobs, they stop worrying about consequences.

But here’s the heart of the problem: while most people oppose these policies, not everyone understands who votes for them. They don’t connect the dots between their concerns and their elections. They think their local Democrat “seems nice” or “isn’t like the others.” They don’t realize that every Democratic legislator in Connecticut, no matter how personable they seem at local events or how great they are as a Little League coach, still supports the leadership responsible for policies that make life harder, more expensive, and less safe.

Where does Democratic support come from? It’s no mystery. State employees whose unions bargain directly with the officials they help elect. Entitlement recipients who fear losing benefits if the system is reformed. Non-profit organizations whose survival depends on state grants and whose leadership knows how to keep the money flowing. And many well-meaning but politically misinformed residents who still believe elected Democrats are the champions of civil rights and working people, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

To be clear: Republicans are not against state employees, non-profits, or people who genuinely need help. We want competent public servants, thriving charitable organizations, and a strong safety net for those who truly need it. What we oppose is a political machine that uses taxpayer dollars and public programs as a business model for staying in power, creating dependency, and allowing vast sums of money intended to help the vulnerable to be siphoned off by bureaucracy, corruption, and government itself. Republicans believe in doing these things right—responsibly, and with real accountability, so the help actually reaches the people who need it.

Republicans are the party of individual rights, personal freedom, opportunity, and accountability—not collectivism. We don’t promise “free stuff,” and we don’t promise that government can solve every problem. The American dream survives only when individuals are free to build it, and government remembers its proper role.

Consider the future we’re handing to the next generation. Young people are struggling under the weight of policies that have boxed them out of home ownership, buried them in cost-of-living expenses, and made upward mobility feel like an illusion. These decisions are not abstract. They determine whether your kids can afford to stay and build a life here.

That is why the upcoming race for Governor may be the most consequential in decades. Connecticut does not need more leadership by ego, ambition, or entitlement. We’ve tried that. We’re living in the results. We do not need a Governor whose priority is power and control, or one whose primary motivation is self-advancement. We need someone who understands the stakes, who stands for freedom over free stuff, and who knows that the purpose of government is to expand opportunity, not restrict it.

Connecticut is not, by nature, a “blue state.” It is a state with people who want safety, prosperity, and common sense. What we need now is for them to connect the dots between the policies they oppose, the problems they face, and the ballots they cast.

If we want to preserve the same rights and opportunities we inherited, we must start choosing differently. The American Dream isn’t dead in Connecticut, but it is on life support. And it’s time for all of us to decide whether we’re going to revive it or simply accept a future of declining freedom and rising dependency.