CT GOP Primary: Smith And Corey Vie To Unseat Murphy In D.C.

CONNECTICUT — The one primary race common to every Connecticut municipality's ballot this Aug. 13 is the Republican battle over who gets to challenge the reelection bid of Sen. Chris Murphy.

The state's junior senator has been representing Connecticut's interests in Washington, D.C. since 2013.

Looking to uproot the entrenched Democrat are Beacon Falls First Selectman Gerry Smith and Manchester business owner Matthew Corey.

If Corey wins the primary, it will be his second time in the ring with Murphy. The US Navy veteran, and owner/operator of One Wood Pub in East Hartford, challenged and lost (garnering 39.35 percent of the vote) to Murphy in the 2018 election, giving the Democratic senator his second term.

In videos posted on his campaign website, Corey, said he believes "our nation has lost its way" and demands that "the blue collar, working class people of this country — the people doing the work and paying taxes in America — have a seat at the table."

Adopting a populist rhetoric beloved by the man at the top of his party's ticket this November, Corey warns that the country has been invaded by illegal immigrants, and advocates for Israel alongside harsher sanctions on Iran and its proxies

"As Chris Murphy has advanced, our nation has declined," Corey said.

But it's Smith who has his party's endorsement. The four-term first selectman also serves as a director at the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, a member of the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency, and a member of the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, according to his website.

Smith names family values, the economy, the opioid crisis and the southern border as his top priorities

In a 2023 interview with radio host Gary Byron, Smith called Murphy "a rubberstamp for what's all wrong in the country right now."

With early voting in effect this election cycle, Connecticut Republicans can vote for either Corey or Smith from Aug. 5-11. Eligible voters can vote in person at their designated location from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. except for Aug. 6 and Aug. 8, when the voting hours are extended from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. In person voting will be held on Primary Day, Aug. 13, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Absentee ballot are available online or at the local town clerk's office.