Candidates offer answers to TBE questions

Posted By: Jack Krampitz October 26, 2022

Two weeks ago, The Bristol Edition contacted all the candidates for state office and asked them to submit a short biography and a discussion of what they consider to be the three biggest issues in this year’s election. Here are the submissions we received.

State Senate, 31st District

Greg Hahn — Democrat

Greg Hahn

Biography

Greg grew up in the Sherman Park section of Bristol and met his wife (Sue) of 38 years at Eastern High School.  They have two adult children, both married and one wonderful and precocious grandchild. 

Greg has worked in Information Technology for over 30 years having owned and operated a consulting company for 11 of those years.  He currently works in the Treasury IT area of a large insurance company as Program Manager/RTE.

He was president of the Bristol Brass and Wind Ensemble and has been an active member for 15 years.

Greg was elected to Bristol’s City council for two highly productive terms.  As City Councilman, Greg, and the mayor, created the City Arts and Culture Commission.  He was then appointed City Council liaison to the commission for his four years in office also served on Public Works, Ordinance Committee, and Real Estate Committee among others.

Issues

When I was asked to run for State Senate, I first wanted to check the record of our current senator.  I found there were significant gaps with how the 31st District was being represented.  Our senator is putting the priorities of the Republican Party above the interests of his constituents and only voting party line.

I chose to run to be a loud voice protecting women’s reproductive rights in the State of Connecticut.

Seventy percent of CT adults feel that we must protect women’s reproductive rights and my opponent has voted against reproductive freedom and the right to choose consistently over his 8 years in office.  This may not have felt like a threat in past elections but now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, make no mistake, Republicans will overturn our laws if given the opportunity.  I will support a bill to make a CT Constitutional Amendment to guarantee women’s reproductive freedom.

The fact that our blue-collar community has no representation in the current senator is another reason that I chose to run.  I will be their voice in Hartford as State Senator.

The 31st District is a blue-collar district and yet our current senator ignores the issue of working families and refuses to speak with union representatives.  A good example is the closing of Associated Spring in Bristol. It was announced 3 months ago,and our legislators have never reached out to the union to see what can be done for these workers that will soon be losing their jobs not to mention how this will affect our community.  

As a side note, I met with the senior leadership of the UAW and AFL-CIO to hear their concerns.  I then contacted Ned Lamont and through these efforts we now have a contact in Hartford to assist those affected by the closing of Associated Spring.

I want to create solutions facing our state and community.  Currently, our senate representation votes no without providing any solution to the issues we are facing. He just votes “NO”.  If you simply vote “’No” without an alternative solution, you are a big part of the problem.

I chose to run because we need solutions for the issues facing the state.  

Endorsements

  • Connecticut AFL-CIO
  • Young Democrats of Connecticut
  • Planned Parenthood
  • CT Against Gun Violence – GRADE A
  • National Organization for Women

_________

Henri Martin — Republican

Henri Martin did not reply to the request for information from The Bristol Edition.

State House of Representatives, 77th District

Andrew Rasmussen-Tuller — Democrat

Andrew Rasmussen-Tuller

Biography

I am a life-long Bristol resident raising my family of three children with my husband, Ken. I am hard-working, family-oriented and dedicated to using my experiences to represent my constituents in the State Legislature. My background in retail and manufacturing management along with my experience as a local Realtor help me understand the needs of the people. I serve on the Economic and Community Development Board for Bristol since being appointed in December 2019. I attended Bristol Public Schools, received my Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Post University and I am currently attending Quinnipiac University for my MBA. I understand the challenges of working full-time, raising a family and pursuing a degree. My goal when elected is to bring forward the concerns of the community and bring a fresh perspective that aligns with the best interests of all my constituents, all while taking a bipartisan stance on issues.

Issues

Women’s Reproductive Rights – We need to ensure that women’s rights are protected permanently. If the wrong people are elected, Democrats could lose control of the State which could cause the current protections to be revoked.

• Inflation reduction – It’s no secret that inflation is at an all-time high. When elected, I will work with my colleagues in the Legislature to reduce the impact of inflation on those that need it most.

• Educational Funding – Currently, the Educational Cost Sharing (ECS) grant program is not enough to provide funds for our students. We need to ensure the education of our youth, our future, is preserved.

Endorsements

_____________

Cara Pavalock-D’Amato — Republican

Cara-Pavalock D’Amato did not reply to the request for information from The Bristol Edition.

State House of Representatives, 79th District

Mary Fortier — Democrat

Mary Fortier

Biography

Mary Fortier, born and raised in Bristol, served on the City Council from 2013-2021. She earned a BA in History and Secondary Education from Boston College. Mary graduated from WNEC School of Law in 1995. She currently works for the State of CT Judicial Branch.  Mary represents her union at the Greater Bristol Labor Federation. Together with her husband David, Mary is the proud mother to six children and grandmother to three.

​As a Council member, she has served on many different committees, including Salary, Public Works, Water and Sewer, and Economic and Community Development. Throughout her tenure she served on the Disability Commission, to which she brings a unique perspective and enthusiasm—both of her siblings are disabled.  Throughout her tenure, she sat on the board of Bristol Community Organization, and later Human Resources Agency of New Britain. Mary now serves as President of the board of HRA.

​​​​​​Issues

By far, the number one election issue for 2022 is inflation. The price of gasoline has been particularly effected, which impacts the local gas pump, but in turn effects all other goods and services dependent on gas for production and shipment. In CT our governor has suspended our gas tax temporarily. Along with releasing supply from our strategic reserves and other measures our federal government has taken, we have gotten some relief in the price of gas.  The ripple effects continue, so there continues to be work to do to relieve the stress inflation is causing, especially for residents with low or fixed incomes. Again, our governor added an additional child tax credit to help lessen the effects of inflation.  I would support measures that expand the LIHEAP program (heating assistance), support childcare subsides and childcare workers and workforce development. I would call all these items, economic infrastructure for families, the basic building blocks they need to survive and thrive.  For seniors, the cost of prescription drugs, can be an economic stressor even without inflation. So, we must seek long term solutions to bringing down and stabilizing the cost of prescription drugs.

​That leads me to my second priority, healthcare. I consider healthcare a basic human right. In CT we do a better job than many states providing affordable healthcare options, but we still have uninsured residents and residents with inadequate coverage that could result in significant financial hardship if there was a serious illness or accident, and seniors unable to afford their medication. In a state with wide economic disparities prior to COVID, and prior to our current inflation, healthcare disparities make those economic disparities wider.  I want CT to be a leader in providing the best healthcare, the most comprehensive healthcare and the most affordable healthcare.

CT is a leader in women’s reproductive rights, but there is no guarantee it will remain that way.  Women’s reproductive rights are part of healthcare, but this year, a separate issue of focus.  The Supreme Court Dobbs decision, overturning Roe v Wade this spring has changed the world as we know it. Woman’s reproductive decisions should be made in consultation with her doctor.   Some states have been pushing the boundaries of Roe for years, but the restrictions passed recently are extreme and include, in many cases, no exceptions for danger to the mother’s health, or rape, or incest. I heard a radio story about a college clinic being told not to discuss or offer birth control, so as not to jeopardize their standing under these new state laws.  Other stories describe women with serious difficulties such as tubal pregnancies, which will not survive, having to wait for surgery until they were dangerously close to death. I know in the majority of states, women will die, and poor woman will have increased hardships due to these extreme laws.  I know that Purple states, such as Wisconsin and Ohio, have enacted these bans.  In CT we have been lucky, but we are a Republican Governor, or Republican majority in our legislature away from being a Purple state.  I will support and advocate for these and other issues to protect and improve the lives of the residents of the 79th.

Endorsements

  • CT PACE, the political action committee of NASW/CT (National Association of Social Workers, Connecticut)
  • CSBTC (Connecticut State Building Trades Council)
  • A Rating- CATV (CT Against Gun Violence)
  • CSEA SEIU Local 2001
  • Working Families Party
  • Independent Party.
  • Connecticut AFL-CIO
  • AFCSCME Council 4

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Jen Van Gorder- Republican

Jen Van Gorder did not reply to the request for information from The Bristol Edition.

State House of Representatives, 78th District

Joe Hoxha — Republican, running unopposed

Joe Hoxha

Biography

My name is Joe Hoxha, my family and I moved to the United States from Albania back in 1996. 

We first arrived in Waterbury where there was and still is a sizable Albanian American community. Shortly thereafter my family moved to in Bristol where my parents found work in the manufacturing sector. 

I attended Bristol public schools and then earned a dual degree in Political science and sociology from Uconn. 

I began getting involved in politics back in 2014 when I worked on my first campaign. Since then I’ve worked all over the country helping fellow Republicans get elected to various offices.

I am a patriotic American, CT is my home,  we need to make sure that our state and country understands that the future for everyone can be bright, but we must be unified, work together to prepare future generations for a competitive world in every sense. 

Issues

My top campaign positions are 

  • Halting the progress of Critical Race theory so that it never penetrates the public school curriculum. 
  • Stop the teaching of Gender identity politics in the school system. 
  • Drastically cut government spending especially in the areas of wasteful social welfare programs that lead to generational poverty and lawlessness. 
  • Fight the rising crime rate by codify much tougher minimum sentencing requirements into law, and backing our police. 

Endorsements

  • Mayor of Bristol, Jeff Caggiano 
  • Mayor of Plymouth, Joe Kilduff 
  • Mayor of New Britain, Erin Stewart 
  • Bristol city councilman Andrew Howe 
  • Bristol city councilwoman Cheryl Thibeault 
  • Bristol city councilman Sebastian Panioto 
  • Plymouth town councilman Dan Gentile 
  • Plymouth town councilwoman Roxanne McCann
  • Plymouth town councilman Nate Brown
  • Plymouth town councilman Ron Tiscia 

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