Republican Gerry Smith claims, “They are burning crosses on my front yard” in deranged fundraising email.

Republican donors were startled to receive an incendiary email from party-endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Gerry Smith that claims President Joe Biden and other Democrats “are burning crosses in my front yard.” The burning cross is one of the most powerful images of racial hatred and violence. No one is burning crosses on Smith’s front yard.

As Smith points out in deranged fundraising appeal, “It’s disgusting” — but not for the reason Smith claims. The first selectman asserts that as the only Black Republican running for the Senate, “I’m their greatest threat.” He is not. Few in Connecticut know who Smith is. In Washington, Smith may briefly rise to an afterthought.

Smith entered the race to challenge incumbent Democrat Chris Murphy in February as a calm Republican with a clear path to his party’s nomination. The late entry of 2018 nominee Matt Corey upended Smith’s saunter to the general election campaign. Corey won 30% of the delegates at the May 13th nominating convention and confirmed there will be an August primary.

Smith’s race-based fundraising appeal suggests he sees no advantage in highlighting his differences with Corey. Smith has won four terms as first selectman in Beacon Falls. The Manchester Republican has often run for office but never won an election. Corey sides with servitude over freedom. He opposes aid to Ukraine and would abandon millions of free people to murderous dictator Vladimir Putin.

Smith is the choice of what is left to the Republican party organization establishment. The ragtag troupe has concentrated its diminishing energy on heaving Westport Republican Annalisa Stravato over the finish line against incumbent Leora Levy in their contest for a seat on the Republican National Committee. The May 28th vote by the state party committee is the passion of chairman Ben Proto. Levy was the 2022 U.S. Senate Republican nominee, defeating party-endorsed candidate Themis Klarides by a wide margin in a primary.

As party leaders devote their full measure to the national committee contest, Republicans face tumbling into single digits in the state senate.

Published May 25, 2024.