Democratic U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes is matched up again with former Republican state Sen. George Logan in Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District.
Hayes defeated Logan by less than 1% two years ago in a district President Joe Biden won by 11 percentage points. At a recent debate, Hayes accused Logan of hiding his support for former president Donald Trump. Logan denied that, but did not mention Trump's name once.
Speaking on Connecticut Public’s “The Wheelhouse,” Logan again declined to name Trump, but said he plans on “voting for the Republican presidential ticket.”
“I cannot, in good conscience, support four more years of Bidenomics, four more years of high inflation, four more years of an open border,” Logan said.
A congress in 'complete chaos'
Hayes, who spoke in a separate segment on the program, touted her legislative record, saying she helped to bring money to Connecticut for infrastructure improvements. She also noted her work with military veterans and on bills to lower the price of some prescription drugs since she was first elected in 2018.
“I’m really proud of the work we’ve done,” Hayes said.
But the Democrat acknowledged partisan deadlocks on issues, including education funding, which she said was the product of a Congress that’s in “complete chaos.”
“There are some members in the Congress who will have their seats no matter what they do, no matter how outrageous their behavior is, because of gerrymandering laws,” Hayes said.
“That's why, when we have the opportunity, we have to stand up,” she said.
If elected, Logan said he would push back on any bad policies “that are going to hurt the people of the 5th Congressional District, regardless of who's proposing them or from which party.”
On reproductive rights, looking forward … and back
Hayes said since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, “the goal posts keep moving” on reproductive rights in Congress.
“I support a woman's right to make her own reproductive health decisions,” Hayes said. “I don't think it's up to the state.”
“I think the fundamental idea that it's really none of my business is really where it should stand, and that's always been my position,” Hayes said.
Logan, who in 2022 said he would not support federal legislation enshrining Roe into law, reiterated to Connecticut Public that he does not support a national abortion ban.
“I've been very consistent in terms of my support of a woman's right to choose,” Logan said.
Since Roe was overturned, 21 states have moved to ban or restrict abortion, according to The New York Times. Connecticut has not. The right to an abortion in Connecticut has been codified in state law since 1990. Logan said Connecticut’s laws should be supported at the national level.
“I want to do everything possible in Washington to support women's right to choose,” Logan said. “As long as it doesn't undermine Connecticut state law and it's constitutional.”
In Congress, Senate Republicans recently blocked a Democratic bill to provide a nationwide right to IVF treatments. As NPR reported, the GOP cast the measure as a “show vote,” while Democrats called attention to GOP differences over reproductive freedom.
Logan said he said he supports “women’s reproductive rights issues, including IVF.”
On gun control
The 2012 school shooting at Sandy Hook, which killed 20 students and six educators, took place in the 5th District – and the shooting continues to drive debate over the issue of gun control in the district.
“I support gun ownership, but it should be responsible,” Hayes said. “You know, the majority of people in this country support universal background checks.”
As NPR has reported, the overwhelming majority of gun owners in the U.S. support universal background checks and so-called “red flag” laws to remove guns from dangerous people. But many harbor a distrust of government, according to an NPR/Ipsos poll.
Logan said he “absolutely” believes in gun control and “good gun control laws,” including safe storage and ensuring guns are registered with serial numbers.
But he declined to say if he would support a federal assault weapons ban.
Instead, the Republican told Connecticut Public he wants to focus on supporting law enforcement and getting “illegal guns off our streets.”
“We need to enforce the gun laws that we have here in Connecticut,” he said, “and we need to give our law enforcement the ability and the resources to do that.”
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Connecticut Public’s Frankie Graziano, Chloe Wynne, Lisa Hagen, Patrick Skahill and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
