Hamden residents are putting in the effort to go out and vote today. Currently the state house and senate are controlled by Democrats, but Republicans are hoping to tip the balance through both general and local elections.
John A. Carlson, the Republican town committee chairman for New Haven, stated that our concerns should reside within our local communities.
“Local elections are much more important than what is happening in DC, so go out and vote for your local,” Carlson said.
Kathy Hoyt is a Republican running for state representative in the 88th district. Her campaign is against current Democratic representative Joshua Elliot, who was elected in 2016.
“I hear time and time again with my kids, students and young adults in the area, it’s a struggle to be able to afford to live in Connecticut,” Hoyt said. “They don’t want to stay, they want to move. We have some of the top universities in the country, if not the world. That’s an invaluable resource for great students who are engaged, motivated and want to go out and make a difference and where are they going? Not Connecticut. We need to motivate young people to stay in Connecticut because we need you.”
Hoyt also emphasized her issues with the local housing market.
“There are constantly people who want to flee. With the lack of affordability and living in Connecticut, we need young aspiring adults to stay in Connecticut and start small businesses,” she said. “We can create more jobs through these small businesses, buy houses, become citizens and have families here. That’s what we need.”
Similar to general elections, the election for state representative in the 88th district is expected to come down to the wire, putting quite a large spotlight on the individual campaigns and efforts.
“Whenever you care about something like how Kathy does about Hamden, there’s always going to be some emotion,” said Matt Schwartz, campaign manager for Kathy Hoyt. “Kathy ran a great campaign, honestly both sides did. Now it’s up to the voters to decide which message they like better.”
Another local election to look out for is the 17th district.
Current representative, Republican George Logan, believes he can continue his work in attracting young entrepreneurs in order to create local jobs and better the local housing situation. His competitor, Democrat Jorges Cabrera, believes he can create local jobs through a similar strategy, while emphasizing topics such as increased welfare, environmental health and a higher tax on big corporations.
Whether you’re voting red or blue, it’s good to know that the main topic of concern for most if not all Connecticut politicians is the creation of more local jobs and an increase in small businesses.
(Additional reporting by Matt Nygaard)