Yesterday, the sixty-five delegates to the 26th District Democratic nominating convention unanimously endorsed Will Haskell for reelection as state senator.
“In the absence of federal leadership during this pandemic, it’s more important than ever that our state government is guided by science, by democratic principles, and by a belief that government is a means of lifting people up instead of tearing them down,” said Haskell.
State Representative Jonathan Steinberg motioned to endorse Senator Haskell. “Will Haskell is a public service phenomenon. Much faster than most legislators, Will Haskell mastered the byzantine intricacies of Hartford and how it operates, and he has distinguished himself as a legislative champion on a variety of issues so critical to we Democrats,” Steinberg said, “We could not be better represented in the State Senate at this crucial time in the history of our state.”
Weston First Selectman Chris Spaulding seconded Haskell’s nomination. “There is not a single situation I’ve seen Will unable to master and no problem too complex for him to break down and clearly communicate,” said Spaulding, “Will is the single reason that I’m unwaveringly optimistic about the future of this state, and the future of this country.”
The sixty-five delegates who unanimously voted to endorse Haskell hail from all seven towns of the 26th District: Bethel, Redding, Weston, Ridgefield, Wilton, Westport, and New Canaan.
In his remarks to delegates, Haskell highlighted the General Assembly’s significant legislation from his first term in office. “After marching with students in Ridgefield and Westport for gun violence prevention, I brought their voices to the State Capitol and co-sponsored Ethan’s Law, to mandate the safe storage of guns when there are kids in the house, as well as a ban on ghost guns, because no one should be able to order a gun online without any check on their identity,” Haskell said during his remarks. “As I went door to door on the campaign trail, I heard too many stories from voters who had been forced to choose between starting their family and their career. So, I helped pass a Family and Medical Leave Law that ensures no one will be required to go back to work when they are still recovering from an illness or caring for a new baby.”
Haskell also highlighted the significant gains that the General Assembly has made in some of Connecticut’s most persistent problems: transportation funding and pension obligations. “We are still paying way too much every year on our legacy pension obligations from the 70s and 80s, but we have made more affordable promises to current employees and future retirees, pension funds that are now fully funded. That means the next generation won’t inherit such a fiscal mess,” Haskell noted.
“In 2018, I was a broken record about the inability for commuters to connect to the internet while riding the train. This year, we forged a public-private partnership to deploy high-speed connection technology along the New Haven Line, all at zero cost to taxpayers. We also secured $20 million to update the Saugatuck railway bridge in Westport, which will speed travel times for everyone in southwest Connecticut.”
For more information about Will’s campaign and to volunteer to help, please visit WillHaskell.com.