Yesterday Susan Chapman, the Republican First Selectman of New Fairfield, put out a racist, offensive tweet – retweeted by Danbury mayor and potential gubernatorial candidate Mark Boughton – calling on the state to crack down on walk-ins at Squantz Pond State Park.

Chapman’s tweet showed a large number of people of color purportedly lining up to enter the state park. In a town where more than 95 percent of residents are white, the tweet is a not-so-subtly racist message – that people of color are second class citizens, that they’re not welcome in her community.

Boughton – as an all-but-declared gubernatorial candidate – needs to explain exactly what he was trying to accomplish by retweeting a racist message.

The tweet is offensive, but it’s certainly not surprising. The Republican Party’s presumed nominee, Donald Trump, has based his campaign on hatred, bigotry, and outright racism. It’s no surprise that his Connecticut Republican supporters would adopt the same xenophobic tone.