There is no getting around it; Americans are displeased with the direction of the government. 85% of American adults, according to a June AP-NORC survey, to be more specific.
Of specific concern to many Americans is how everyday partisan fighting and divisive rhetoric seemingly make it onto the political agenda. Scratch that; some days, it doesn’t just make it onto the political agenda; it IS the political agenda! Case in point, former North Carolina Congressman Maddison Cawthorn admitted in an email to colleagues that he had “built [his] staff around comms [communications] rather than legislation.” Unfortunately, former Rep. Cawthorn is no anomaly in the arena of politics. With many elected officials fighting their own self-serving battles instead of helping their constituents as they were elected to do, most Americans feel as if their voices and concerns are lost in the rumble of partisan bickering.
Yet, the beauty of democracy remains the fact that, when displeased, the people have the power to fix it. By the power of the vote, the people possess the ability to right the ship and change the direction of the government. And, since the current turbulent and divisive political climate has left many Americans feeling voiceless and unrecognized, it is important and necessary to elect candidates this fall who will listen to our voices, care about our issues, genuinely want to help, and will roll up their sleeves to do so.
Ceci Maher, the Democratic candidate for Connecticut’s 26th senatorial district, will do just that when elected this fall.
But please, ignore all the big talk about why Ceci Maher deserves your vote for state senator. Ceci’s actions and experiences throughout her life speak loud enough and build a more than sufficient case for her election on November 8th.
If you have ever met her, you know that Ceci has an unwavering commitment to helping others, which kickstarted two decades of experience leading large, diverse nonprofits in and around the 26th district. Under her leadership, nonprofits succeeded in many areas, from providing underprivileged individuals with food and clothes to helping solve significant problems that plagued our community and nation, such as gun violence and school shootings.
Ceci served as CEO of Darien's “Person to Person” for 14 years, where she grew the organization and provided “essential needs'' such as food, clothing, and emergency assistance to disadvantaged individuals in our community. Then, Ceci served first as the COO and then Executive Director at Newton’s “Sandy Hook Promise,” an organization formed in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting. There, she focused on school shooting prevention and advocated for gun control and reform.
Ceci has also spent time as a Clinical Social Worker at Four Winds Hospital, and held a board member position at A Better Chance in Wilton, an organization that welcomes academically talented high school students of color from underprivileged communities to live in Wilton and access Wilton’s educational opportunities.
Further bolstering her candidacy, Ceci has spent much of her life living in the 26th district. Born in Stamford, started a family in Norwalk, then moved to Wilton, the town where she currently resides; Ceci knows this district and its people like the back of her hand. She understands the complex issues we face and our pressing concerns from gun control, reproductive rights, and education, to the economy, our climate, and voting rights.
But I must make a confession; I will not be voting in this upcoming election. Not because I don’t wish to, but rather because I simply cannot. The 26th Amendment establishes the minimum voting age as 18 and I’m a couple years too young. Still, my age does not bar me, nor excuse me, from caring. Caring about our democracy, climate, economy, schools, gun violence, and fundamental rights. Most importantly, my age does not bar me from caring about my fellow citizens, their well-being, and our collective future. For better or worse, all of the aforementioned are on the ballot this November, and as a member of the commonly referenced “next generation,” I say with great seriousness: Vote.
Vote for Ceci Maher, who is running to become the next State Senator of the 26th District. From her roots in this district to her uncompromising quest to help others and our community, Ceci is the type of leadership and representation that the 26th district deserves and needs in Hartford. Most importantly, Ceci will listen to her constituents and continue doing what she has been doing for the past two decades, helping and fighting for us. Grab your calendar, mark the date, and make a plan to vote for Ceci Maher on November 8th.