There are nearly 500,000 registered Republicans in Connecticut.

That figure is less than the number of registered Democrats – and unaffiliated voters – in the state.

Republicans are at a disadvantage in both chambers of the Connecticut General Assembly. And in the final Quinnipiac University poll released ahead of the Nov. 3 gubernatorial election, the CT GOP-endorsed candidate is trailing by 20 points.

Today on The Wheelhouse, with midterm elections two weeks away, we talk to conservatives about the issues they care about and the future of their party in Connecticut.

Guests:
Rep. Vincent Candelora (R - North Branford)
Geoffrey Medeiros, chairman, CT College Republicans
Jonathan Wharton, professor of political science and urban affairs, Southern Connecticut State University
Dan Haar, senior editor and columnist, Hearst Connecticut Media Group

There are nearly 500,000 <a href="https://ctmirror.org/2026/08/07/connecticut-lost-18197-active-voters-this-year-mostly-unaffiliated/">registered</a> Republicans in Connecticut.
That figure is less than the number of registered Democrats &ndash; and unaffiliated voters &ndash; in the state.
Republicans are at a disadvantage in both chambers of the Connecticut General Assembly. And in the final Quinnipiac University poll released ahead of the Nov. 3 gubernatorial election, the CT GOP-endorsed candidate is <a href="https://poll.qu.edu/poll-release?releaseid=3971">trailing by 20 points</a>.
Today on The Wheelhouse, with midterm elections two weeks away, we talk to conservatives about the issues they care about and the future of their party in Connecticut.
Guests:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.cthousegop.com/candelora">Rep. Vincent Candelora (R - North Branford)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/ctfcr/">Geoffrey Medeiros</a>, chairman, CT College Republicans</li>
<li><a href="https://www.southernct.edu/directory/whartonj1">Jonathan Wharton</a>, professor of political science and urban affairs, Southern Connecticut State University</li>
<li><a href="https://www.ctinsider.com/author/dan-haar/?utm_source=marketing&amp;utm_medium=google&amp;utm_campaign=content_acquisition&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23947451672&amp;gbraid=0AAAAACqe600Ajs27SFeDQgHx_1zHYD8sW&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwotzWBhBFEiwA1JhPoEqksZpzWcmBpRIKfRY6Mw9UJWc7DSP8zjNdC43OexW3cViM_iyI3BoCfhAQAvD_BwE">Dan Haar</a>, senior editor and columnist, Hearst Connecticut Media Group</li>
</ul>

If you’re a news junkie — or maybe just news curious, we’ve got your weekly dose of Connecticut politics, tackling everything from tax cuts to human composting. Amplifying important local and national voices, The Wheelhouse walks listeners through the most important political stories of the week.  You’ll hear from well-known political reporters, academics, and local journalists across Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns.

If you’re a news junkie — or maybe just news curious, we’ve got your weekly dose of Connecticut politics, tackling everything from tax cuts to human composting. Amplifying important local and national voices, The Wheelhouse walks listeners through the most important political stories of the week.  You’ll hear from well-known political reporters, academics, and local journalists across Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns.

Connecticut's best journalists come out of the political trenches every Wednesday to join us on WNPR's weekly news roundtable The Wheelhouse.