Submitted by Dan Quigley, Greenwich
One year ago, I co-authored an opinion piece endorsing the Democratic candidates for the Greenwich BET (Finance Board). I also helped lead a successful effort to elect a bipartisan coalition of candidates to the Greenwich RTM. On November 5th, I will be voting for a Democrat at the top of the ticket for the first time in my life because I feel it is in the best interest of our country. Now, I am writing in support of a local candidate for whom I have great respect and whose re-election I feel is in the best interest of our district. That candidate is State Senator Ryan Fazio.
Being a Republican minority member of our State Senate is not an easy job. We have in recent times seen some Republicans get elected on the promise of pursuing ideological causes. This has proven to be an ineffective and counterproductive approach to working in state government. Ryan has not followed this path. As state senator, he has consistently demonstrated a high degree of integrity, a tireless dedication to the job and a willingness to work across the aisle in order to achieve positive results for the 36th district. These are strong leadership qualities and are indicative of someone who puts the needs of constituents first, which is after all what being a public servant is all about.
When assessing the effectiveness of an elected representative, it is worthwhile to examine who their biggest critics are. In Senator Fazio’s case this is very telling. Progressive Democrats often try to paint him as an “extremist,” while some members of the Republican party’s right flank have routinely criticized him online for being too moderate. In my experience, I have found that if you are being targeted for criticism by the more radical elements of both major political parties, it’s a sign that you are on the right track.
Last year, when Jim Lash and I endorsed the BET Democrats, one of the foundational elements of our thesis was that perennial Republican control of the BET had begun to produce diminishing returns and decisions driven by hubris. The same can be applied to our state legislature. State Democrats have enjoyed longstanding (forty years) majorities in both the State House and State Senate. Heading into this election, Democrats are on the cusp of achieving veto-proof supermajorities in both houses of the legislature. If Senator Fazio were to lose in November, his loss would further diminish Republican representation by giving Democrats a 70%, veto proof supermajority in the State Senate. In the House of Representatives, Democrats are also only 3 votes away (98-53) from achieving a two thirds supermajority. There would be no need for them to secure any Republican support on any legislation if this comes to pass. History shows that one-party rule rarely if ever produces legislative results that reflect any input from the minority party. Connecticut surely will not benefit from this outcome.
Democrats have attacked Senator Fazio for refusing to discuss national politics. What I hope people understand is that in the current political environment, “national issues” are a lose-lose proposition for local leaders. Ryan has repeatedly stated that he is focused on the issues that concern his constituents and that fall within his purview as a state senator. This is what he should be focused on. This criticism of Senator Fazio is nothing more than a false equivalence.
Ryan’s opponent has also attempted to cast him as “too extreme for Greenwich.” In fact, a mailer was recently sent out which said that Ryan “donated to Trump loyalist Ted Cruz and is backed by MAGA extremists and Trump administration officials.” Both of these comments are misleading and disengenuous. For some context, the small donation Ryan made to Ted Cruz was made in 2015 when Ted Cruz was running in a primary against none other than Donald Trump. These and other attacks on Ryan are at best deceptive and at worst totally innacurate.
Throughout his nearly two terms in the state senate Ryan has remained focused on the myriad of challenges facing residents in the 36th district. He has been an ardent and vocal supporter of local zoning control and a leader in finding solutions to reducing CT’s high electricity costs. Ryan has also fought to ensure that CT keeps its fiscal guardrails in place and has worked hard to forge good working relationships with his state senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle. These are all biproducts of Ryan’s work ethic, his willingness to listen and his honesty.
The role of the loyal opposition in our government is critical to the proper functioning of our democracy. In CT, we are at risk of losing that in this election cycle. There is no compelling reason to send yet another Democrat to Hartford when so many there are entrenched in the majority already. We need good Republican voices in Hartford to act as a counterweight and to force honest debate.
I am proud to advocate for Ryan Fazio and even more proud to call him a friend. Ryan is deserving of another term as our state senator and I urge you to join me in voting for him in what is anticipated to be a very close election.
NOTE: LTEs about candidates in the Nov 5, 2024 election are being accepted for consideration through Oct 29 at 12:00 noon.