MacCormack Faces Backlash after Anti-LGBTQ Comments
Emilio Emerges to Challenge in GOP Primary as a Result
Emilio to challenge MacCormack in GOP Primary on Aug. 11
A candidate currently running for election to the 50th District in the House of Representatives made headlines last month when he made anti-LGBTQ+ social media posts, drawing ire from both sides of the aisle — including calls to withdraw from his campaign — and leading to another candidate emerging to challenge him in the GOP primary on Aug. 11.
In May, Jadon MacCormack (R-Brooklyn), 23, was declared the Republican candidate slated to run against Democratic incumbent Pat Boyd (D-Pomfret) in the State House of Representatives’ 50th District, which covers the towns of Ashford, Brooklyn, Eastford, Hampton, Mansfield, Pomfret, and Woodstock. The election is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 3.
In a social media post on June 2 titled, “Happy Straight Month,” MacCormack stated he would “stand against the transgender and LGBT movement that has for too long corrupted our families, undermined parental authority, and eroded the foundational values of our society.” He added he would “fight relentlessly in the state legislature to protect our children from premature medical interventions, indoctrination in schools, and the normalization of perverse ideologies that threaten the innocence of the next generation.”
The post drew immediate backlash from both sides of the aisle, especially when further comments by MacCormack were featured on an episode of “Reese on the Radio,” on WTIC NewsTalk 1080 on June 3. In the episode, MacCormack confirmed his support for the death penalty for “sodomites,” confirming a post made on the social media site X on Aug. 11, 2025, replying to Dominic Michael Tripi’s post about the Supreme Court considering overturning a gay marriage ruling with a picture of a noose with the caption: “The Bible has a better idea.”
“I want to bring us back to the old past and the truth of what made America the land of the free,” MacCormack said on the “Reese on the Radio” episode June 3. “When it comes to putting on the death penalty, we need to focus on what is proper. We can’t have people molesting children. Perverts, these horrible people, they should get the death penalty too. I believe every sodomite is a pervert.”
MacCormack’s opponent, incumbent State Rep. Pat Boyd (D-Pomfret), called MacCormack’s comments “tone deaf” and hateful in a statement on June 3.
“As someone who has lived in northeastern Connecticut my entire life, I am deeply embarrassed that our region is drawing statewide, and potentially national, attention for all the wrong reasons,” Boyd said. “The nomination of a major party candidate who chooses to divide our towns, spread hate, and insult our neighbors is completely tone-deaf to the decent people from all political backgrounds who live here. … when a candidate crosses the line of basic human decency by judging others and plastering irrational, hateful posts about our neighbors, friends, and family across social media, it threatens the very fabric of our community.”
State Sen. Jeff Gordon (R-Woodstock) also condemned MacCormack’s statements on June 3.
“The hateful remarks recently posted on social media by a candidate for State Representative in the 50th District directed at the LGBTQ community are reprehensible and have no place in our public discourse. I condemn these comments in the strongest terms. I’ve been consistent in calling out hate speech in the Quiet Corner, in all its forms, from all people, regardless of their political views, and this is no exception. As a community, we do not condone rhetoric like this in any form. Whether this language comes from the political right or the left, it does not reflect the basic decency that northeastern Connecticut residents exhibit on a daily basis.”
The Connecticut GOP released a statement later that week that sought to distance itself from MacCormack’s statements.
“The Connecticut Republican Party strongly condemns any rhetoric, explicit or implicit, that can be interpreted as encouraging hostility, intimidation, or violence toward any individual or group,” the statement reads. “At a time when our nation continues to witness the real-world consequences of inflammatory political discourse amplified through social media, candidates for public office have a heightened responsibility to choose their words carefully and to promote civil, respectful debate. The recent statements made by [MacCormack] fall far short of that standard. By invoking historical punishments for individuals based on their sexual conduct and coupling those references with language portraying entire groups of people as threats to society, MacCormack crossed a line that should never be crossed by anyone seeking public office. Whether intended or not, such rhetoric can be interpreted as validating hostility toward members of the LGBTQ community and contributes to an atmosphere of division and fear. … Mr. MacCormack is entitled to his personal opinions, but those opinions are not representative of the Connecticut Republican Party. His statements do not reflect our values, our principles, or our approach to public service.”
Facing calls to withdraw from the race, MacCormack remained defiant, stating publicly that he had no regrets and that he would “never withdraw.” In a social media post on June 4, he doubled down on his statements.
“On America’s 250th anniversary, I see this issue as a major turning point for the country, but for local communities especially, one rooted in the founding principles of Connecticut,” he stated in the June 4 post. “I will never withdraw. I plan on running the most impactful campaign of this election cycle … I stand by every word. Those who oppose my statements have immoral judgment and are not upholding the founding principles of Connecticut.”
In the days after the comments, news began to emerge that Anthony Emilio of Pomfret would be collecting signatures across the district to challenge MacCormack in the primary scheduled for Aug. 11. The minimum number of signatures required was 238, and Emilio collected 340 — including some at Experience Eastford on June 6. Emilio is now officially on the ballot for Aug. 11, and the winner of the primary will challenge Boyd in November.
Christopher Bowen, chairman of the Republican Town Committee, promoted the petition before Experience Eastford and spoke to the effect the controversy has had in town.
“The positions [MacCormack] has been promoting are rooted in division and hostility, and they run counter to the basic values of respect, dignity, and liberty that hold communities together,” Bowen said. “When public voices spread messages that demean and attack others, it harms more than individuals; it erodes the sense of safety that we all deserve. … Adding your name to the petition is a simple but meaningful way to push back against the hate and support a better future for everyone.”