Hartford, CT – After the final Connecticut Republican gubernatorial debate tonight, Democratic Party Chairman Nick Balletto released the following statement:

“Tonight, Connecticut Republicans showed us once again that they are the Party of Trump.  Let’s be very clear, today’s Connecticut Republican Party bares little resemblance to the moderate Republicans of the past. Whether it is avoiding answering questions or ignoring the thousands of students, teachers, and activists demanding gun legislation, CT Republican gubernatorial candidates have proven again that they cannot make statements that differ with mainstream Republican talking points.

“When the issue of gun violence came up, some Republican candidates didn’t feel the issue was worth using their debate time. Republican candidates have no plan or intention to take a stand to combat gun violence in our towns and cities. They are too busy pandering to the NRA in hopes they will spend big on their campaign to listen to the Connecticut voters who want change. They have had every opportunity to stand up for our communities and our students–and they have failed every single time.

“Not one Republican on or off stage has shown themselves to be anything more than a rubber stamp for the harmful Trump agenda that hurts middle-class families, threatens our coastline, and disregards the centuries old precedent of an independent judicial branch.  Connecticut voters have a very clear choice: one of the qualified Democrats that will be real leaders and will bring new ideas to the state to move us forward or a Republican who will cater to the Trump/McConnell agenda.”