Joe Kelly and Ryan Fazio push fear and deception
Donald Trump has spent years spreading false claims and conspiracy theories about our elections — from insisting there’s widespread voting by noncitizens to — even to this day — claiming the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
The formula is familiar: manufacture a frightening claim, repeat it loudly and hope no one checks the facts. Now we’re seeing the same playbook from Greenwich Republicans.
Joe Kelly pushing fear over facts
Republican State Senate candidate Joe Kelly is claiming that Connecticut’s new election law prevents police from responding to an emergency at a polling place without first getting permission.
Standing outside a Greenwich polling place on Primary Day, Kelly posted a video raising the specter of “violent protests” and said police would be required to remain 250 feet away. His conclusion was unequivocal: “Basically anything could happen and the police cannot help.”
And it wasn’t an off-the-cuff comment. Kelly repeated the claim in an email and letter to the editor, asking voters to imagine “unruly demonstrators,” criminals preying on voters or “an angry ex” assaulting someone — while police supposedly wait for permission from a polling moderator to intervene.
Joe Kelly is wrong
The problem for Kelly is that’s not what the law says. The law expressly allows police to enter when “exigent circumstances reasonably require” their presence “to protect against a serious threat to life or property.” In other words, police can respond to violence, threats, and other serious emergencies — precisely the scenarios Kelly described — without first obtaining a moderator’s permission.
And here’s the irony: that specific provision was added to help protect voters from intimidation at the polls. Kelly has now weaponized the voter protection law to do the opposite — stoke fear and confusion about whether voters will be safe and whether police can protect them.
Ryan Fazio’s fake ‘Democrats’
And Kelly isn’t the only local Republican facing criticism over deceptive messaging. Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Fazio recently reposted his ad on social media featuring people under the banner: “I’m a Democrat & I’m voting for Ryan Fazio.”
The post has a major problem, as State Representative Matt Blumenthal adeptly describes in a video responding to it, “These folks? Not Democrats.”
On social media, Blumenthal identified two people featured as “Democrats” in the Fazio post. Jim Connor is a longtime Republican who served on the Stratford Town Council, ran for Board of Education as a Republican last year, and was a Republican convention delegate this year. Another is Darrell Harris, the chairman of the Easton Republican Town Committee who is currently running for the Connecticut State House as a Republican.
As Blumenthal put it: “Here in Connecticut, I’m confident you can’t build a winning campaign on deception. Unfortunately, Ryan Fazio’s campaign is trying to do just that.”
We’ve seen this playbook before
What we’re seeing from Kelly and Fazio is the political culture Donald Trump normalized: facts become optional, fear becomes a campaign strategy, and voters are expected to react before they have time to check whether what they’ve been told is actually true. This isn’t just Trump’s playbook anymore. Kelly and Fazio are running it here at home. Don’t be fooled.
Jill Oberlander: Independent. Engaged. Fighting for Greenwich.
Have you seen her in your neighborhood?
For the past few months, Jill Oberlander’s been pounding the pavement, knocking on thousands of doors, and talking with voters throughout the 36th District. If you’ve opened your door to her, you’ve discovered what so many others have: Jill is genuinely interested in what you have to say, knows the issues, and cares deeply about making life better in our communities.
Oberlander canvassing in Riverside with campaign interns.
If you haven’t met her yet, here’s what you should know.
Oberlander is running for State Senate because she believes we deserve a senator who understands the issues, will work tirelessly, listen carefully, and put the district — not a political party — first.
As an independent Democrat, Oberlander is running on the ABCs: Affordability, Business growth, and Centrist governance. She stands by the solemn oath she took to support and defend the Constitution because protecting the District’s –– and the state’s –– rights and freedoms from federal interference has become urgent.
These values have been evident throughout her decades of public service, including as a Greenwich selectperson, Representative Town Meeting member and the first Democratic chair of the Board of Estimate and Taxation, during which Greenwich saw lower taxes than it had under the previous 10 years of Republican control.
As an independent Democrat, Oberlander delivers common-sense leadership. She isn’t afraid to stand up to anyone — including her own party –– whether it’s her support for local zoning control or pro-growth policies that protect taxpayers and bolster local businesses.
Reach out now to get involved in Jill Oberlander’s campaign.
What we’re reading
Travels to Japan and Europe left us wondering: why can trains there routinely approach 200 miles per hour while America’s fastest trains move much more slowly? That question led us back to this 2023 article, which explains that the problem is not the trains themselves, but the aging infrastructure they run on.
It is a reminder of why President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was so important, and why sustained investment remains essential. Today, that commitment is less certain. We applaud Governor Lamont’s $1.6 billion plan to modernize the New Haven Line, which promises faster, more frequent, and more reliable service between New Haven and New York City.
Action Calendar
September 11. Coffee with Khanna.
September 13. Campaign kickoff picnic.
For an afternoon of food, conversation, and community, meet local, state and federal leaders, connect with neighbors, and help us build critical momentum for the upcoming election. Click here to sign up and purchase tickets. 12 noon–3 p.m., Clambake Area, Greenwich Point Park, Old Greenwich.
September 23. Learn.
Join a conversation with Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas to learn the latest on voting in Connecticut 4-5 p.m., Greenwich Town Hall Meeting Room.
| Volume 5, Number 8 • August 20, 2026 |
| Paid for by the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee. |
| Greenwich Democratic Town Committee P.O. Box 126 Greenwich, CT 06836 |