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To the Editor:
I’ve been a registered Republican most of my life, aside from a brief departure from 2016-2020 when I registered 3rd party.
I returned after the 2020 election and was excited about where we might be able to take the party. We had local elected Republicans that were willing to work across the aisle. That was what I strongly believed the party needed to get back on track.
Unfortunately, soon after I rejoined several key members of our local GOP made a bold and brave decision to separate themselves and become a new party. These were the individuals who were willing to work across party lines, roll their sleeves up, and get work done. What was left behind in the GOP, I have come to realize, is not something I can support.
The West Hartford GOP, and their minority leader especially, have become a divisive group. It is increasingly clear that if you ask a question you will be labeled as against them. They rally behind their minority leader, who continually goes on social media rants against her very own residents, voters and past supporters, calling them trolls, hacks, and worse. This behavior shouldn’t happen with any mature adult, let alone an elected official (now running for State office). Yet it continues to go unaddressed by her party.
It is because of this most recent behavior I see I have no choice but to leave the Republican party. I urge the local officials to look inward at your party. Something is severely broken. The best candidates have left or have chosen not to seek re-election. What you are left with at the top is a “leader” who only seeks to create division and mudsling with anyone who asks tough questions.
Sandy Holland
West Hartford
We-ha.com sure has a fetish for these “I’m leaving the GOP” editorials. Which amounts to nothing in a town (and by-in-large state) where the GOP is locked out and irrelevant. Every West Hartford Republican is a closeted Democrat, but needs to egotistically chest thump a production value to LARP relevancy with these editorials or joining abortive third parties such as “A Connecticut Party” which got trounced last election. Pronouncements like these don’t hit the same without Trump, do they?
By way of explanation, editorials are opinion pieces written by a news organization. What you are referring to is a letter to the editor, which is a reader-submitted opinion. We-Ha.com encourage letters to the editor on all topics.
Keith Griffin
Vacation Relief Editor