You have been warned. Fifth District Republican threatens to destroy any party competitor. Headaches to follow.

Terryville Republican Jonathan De Barros wants a clear path to his party’s nomination for the House of Representatives from Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District. And he’s not asking nicely.

In a social media post, De Barros wrote to anyone contemplating running against him, “I promise your that I will not play nice and I will actually do you worse than I’m gonna do her [presumably referring to Democratic incumbent Jahana Hayes] because I know no can beat her but me.” If the incendiary Klan imagery included in that post did not sufficiently appall readers, De Barros added in a second post 10 minutes later that claimed, “If you step in my District with your bullshit I’m going to destroy you in a Republican Primary Election and intentionally embarrass you for even trying.”

Fifth District Republicans will need to put some effort into finding a candidate who will not attract the kind of attention that requires frequent comment and condemnation by other candidates on the Republican line.

De Barros, who filed a declaration of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission on March 17th, raised $1,331 during his first six weeks as a candidate.

Published May 7, 2025.