A Connecticut Republican candidate is facing bipartisan backlash—and a public rebuke from his own party—after declaring June “Straight Month” and describing Pride celebrations as something Americans should oppose.
Jadon E. MacCormack, 23, is running for a seat in Connecticut’s 50th House District, a largely rural region in the state’s northeast.
A first-time candidate who worked at the state Capitol earlier this year, he posted on Facebook at the start of June, which is widely observed as Pride Month.
“Happy Straight Month! It’s American to be Anti-Pride Month,” MacCormack wrote, going on to say he would “stand firmly against the Transgender and LGBT movement.”
The post quickly drew criticism not only from Democrats but also from senior Republicans, triggering a rare public split within the state party.
Newsweek reached out to Jadon E. MacCormack via email for comment.
GOP Leaders Distance Themselves
Within hours, Connecticut House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora moved to distance the party from MacCormack’s remarks, stressing that they did not reflect Republican priorities.
“Mr. MacCormack’s recent comments about Pride Month are his own. They don’t speak for the Republican Party here,” Candelora said, adding that the remarks were “immature and reckless.”
Candelora went further, questioning the candidate’s suitability for office and calling on him to withdraw from the race altogether.
“The best thing he can do for the 50th District now is step aside,” he said.
In a separate statement, the Connecticut Republican Party issued a broader condemnation, warning that MacCormack’s rhetoric crossed a line for public officials.
In a statement, the party said his comments could be interpreted as encouraging hostility toward LGBTQ people and emphasized that his views are “not representative of the Connecticut Republican Party.”
It concluded that the candidate had “disqualified himself” from serving as a Republican standard-bearer and urged him to end his campaign.
Bipartisan Backlash
Criticism extended beyond party lines, with Democrats and other state leaders condemning the tone and substance of the post.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont called the remarks “unacceptable” and “completely out of step with Connecticut values,” stressing that the state “welcomes people” and “respects differences.”
While Connecticut State Senator Jeff Gordon called the comments “hateful” and denounced the language as “reprehensible.”
The reaction reflected unusually broad agreement across Connecticut’s political spectrum, and comes amid wider Republican tensions over Pride Month messaging. Earlier this week, Tennessee Representative Andy Ogles faced bipartisan backlash for a since-deleted post declaring that “homosexuality has no place in America” and wishing followers a “Happy Nuclear Family Month,” before later apologizing and blaming a staffer.
Around the same time, Indiana Governor Mike Braun declared June “Nuclear Family Month,” a move that has drawn criticism for its timing alongside Pride Month and for promoting a traditional definition of family.
Candidate Refuses to Back Down
Despite the mounting pressure, MacCormack has shown no signs of retreating.
Responding to criticism from his own party, he dismissed the calls for him to step aside as “absurd” and accused Republican leaders of weakness.
“There is a clear reason Connecticut is in such deep decline: too many Republicans in office have grown weak and complacent. What the party desperately needs is the bold, principled mindset that young conservatives like myself are bringing to the fight,” MacCormack wrote on Facebook.
In a later interview with NBC Connecticut, MacCormack was explicit about his intentions to remain in the race.
“I will never withdraw from the race because I know what I’m fighting for,” he said.
MacCormack has continued to defend his position publicly, reiterating his opposition to LGBTQ-related policies and framing his campaign as a pushback against what he described as prevailing social and cultural trends.
The controversy leaves MacCormack politically isolated within his own party just months before voters head to the polls.
He is seeking to represent a seven-town district currently held by Democrat Patrick Boyd, who has served since 2017.
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