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For over 14 years, I have proudly served in the Connecticut legislature, often earning the endorsement of the Independent Party. In 2012, I personally collected petitions to help secure the party's presence on the ballot, and then competed fairly for its endorsement through a delegate convention—where registered Independent Independents (rather than Republican, Democrat, or Unaffiliated, etc.) voters from the district would gather to select their candidate, and I was fortunate to be recognized by Independent voters for my strong principles and truly independent voting record. This transparent process has defined every election cycle, except in 2020 due to the pandemic.

This year, under new leadership by Chairman Chip Beckett, the Independent Party has undergone drastic changes—both in ideology and the candidate selection process. Traditionally, the party stood for the values of its voters through a delegate convention system made up of actual voters. Now, a small group of insiders makes these critical decisions, based on a new set of policy preferences, such as ranked-choice voting, and more concerning, a mandatory pledge that all candidates must sign.

This pledge seems designed to enforce a specific narrative about January 6, 2021.

In a public statement, Mr. Beckett compared the events of January 6, 2021, to the rise of Hitler, saying: "I’m sure you’ve seen some of the things about Hitler being freely elected to overturn the Weimar Republic in the 1920s and early 30s. And I see January 6th, 2021, is very much in that vein. It’s history rhyming with the same populism power grab of ‘I don’t like the results, so I’m going to destroy everybody else."

Mr. Beckett’s comparison of the Capitol events to the rise of Hitler is troubling and suggests a requirement to disavow former President Trump and condemn many of the citizens who were peacefully present at the Capitol that day. While Mr. Beckett and the Independent Party of Connecticut are entitled to their views, I respectfully disagree and want no part of it.

While I unequivocally support the peaceful transfer of power, I cannot endorse this revisionist narrative, or the divisive pledge associated with it.

It is frustrating because I am confident that I would have easily earned the endorsement of Independent Party members through a fair convention process. However, given these changes, I have decided, for the first time in years, not to seek the Independent Party's endorsement.

I urge voters to scrutinize candidates who have accepted the Independent Party’s endorsement. To do so likely means adopting positions that conflict with Republican values and publicly aligning with a far-left perspective on January 6th, aimed at harming the campaign of former President Trump.

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