State Senator
Saud Anwar
Deputy President Pro Tempore
Working For You
- Representing
- East Hartford,
- Ellington,
- East Windsor,
- South Windsor
State Senator Saud Anwar (D-South Windsor) on Tuesday joined with fellow Democratic Senators in Sprague to defend State Senator Cathy Osten (D-Sprague) after a recent Facebook post connected to her efforts running for re-election as First Selectman in Sprague, her hometown, led to violent threats being made against her.
“In our current environment, people have found it very easy to use hate speech and then subsequently move towards personal threats towards others,” said Sen. Anwar. “Senator Cathy Osten is one of the hardest working public servants that the State of Connecticut has seen. Her commitment to helping people not only in her own town and district but the entire State of Connecticut serves as a model for all legislators to follow. I am heartbroken to see such hateful remarks directed towards her. I hope that we can evolve to be kind respectful and gracious communities in person and also in social media communications.”
In a Facebook post on the Connecticut Republican Party page this week about Sen. Osten allegedly driving on a lawn while campaigning, commenters wrote that they would have “pull(ed) her out (sic) that car and knock(ed) her out” and threatened to “shot (sic) her.” In response, a coalition of Democratic Senators gathered to stand with and defend Sen. Osten and denounce violent threats made online. The Senators included Senate President Martin Looney (D-New Haven), who recently defended New Britain Republican Mayor Erin Stewart against offensive social media attacks.