To the Editor:           

It is hard to ignore the sheer number and strategic placement of the Old Lyme Republican campaign signs this election cycle. When the going gets tough, they even mount them on pickup trucks and dispatch them for maximum impact.

However, one element is conspicuously absent: the word REPUBLICAN. The party name is often missing entirely or relegated to small print, much like a required warning label. Further confusing the issue, many signs prominently feature the color blue, traditionally associated with the Democratic party, with only a small hint of red. This calculated misdirection raises a critical question: Why are local candidates actively hiding their party identity?

In a local election, this confusion is not just a branding choice; it is a vital matter of accountability. It is no surprise that the GOP candidates should try to distance themselves from the Trump administration’s policies: attempts to cut state funding (particularly targeting states like Connecticut), opposition to essential clean-energy projects like Revolution Wind that would support our future electricity needs, cuts to Medicaid, voting suppression and gerrymandering, culture wars terrorizing immigrant and minority communities.  But they cannot pretend that the national GOP ideologies do not infect local policies. For example, recall the memory of the Republican-led attack on our library and books two years ago, or the written diatribe from a current GOP candidate for the Board of Education admonishing our school system to prohibit any questioning of gender identity.

Given the clearly adverse impacts of the Trump administration’s policies on Connecticut, voters deserve to know where our local candidates stand. Therefore, I ask each candidate, without spin or evasion: Do you, on the whole, support the policies and leadership of the Trump administration? A simple yes or no answer is required to ensure that voters can make an informed choice. Your silence will be deafening.

Sincerely,

Howard Margules,
Old Lyme.