Letters to the Editor

Vote for tireless advocates

I am supporting Jenn Jennings and Jill Barry this year. Both are tireless advocates for our town. They back the blue, and will act as fiduciaries with our tax dollars, which is much needed at the State Capitol. Finally, they will not be influenced by special interests and will put Glastonbury first. Please join me on election day in supporting these candidates.

Mark Pappa, Glastonbury

Vote Jenn Jennings

Please join me in voting for Jenn Jennings for Connecticut State Senate in District 4.

Jenn is not a career politician. Her life is rooted in the same everyday realities that so many of us face, raising kids, balancing work and family, navigating schools, public safety, housing costs, and the challenge of building a future in Connecticut from where she is a lifelong resident.

For nearly two decades Jenn has strongly advocated for skilled trade workers, apprenticeships, small businesses, and career pathways. As a Board of Education member, she has a track record of asking hard questions, demanding transparency, and focusing on results rather than rhetoric. Her guiding principle is simple and powerful: People Over Politics.

Connecticut families need representatives who listen first, study the details, protect taxpayer dollars, and measure outcomes. Jenn understands public safety through her husband’s long service as a police officer. She understands workforce and economic opportunity through her professional work. She understands education from the perspective of a parent and an elected school board member. And she understands that hard work should lead to greater security, not greater financial pressure from taxes and costs that make it harder to stay in the communities we love.

I believe Jenn Jennings will bring common sense leadership, accountability, and a genuine commitment to the people of the 4th District. I urge my neighbors to support her on Nov. 3.

Danielle Haaf, Glastonbury

Jenn stands for people

I would like to express my strong support for Jenn Jennings for State Senator. Over the years that I have known her, I have seen her truly exhibit what “people over politics” means.

Jenn Jennings has advocated for my daughter and grandchildren, many times. I myself appreciate how she has looked out for people like me (retired), who want to be able to afford to live in a town I have lived in most of my adult life.

Jenn is very accessible to all and stands for people first over political lines. She certainly has my vote!

Barbara Williams, Glastonbury

Barry deserves another term

I am a South Glastonbury resident whose home is in State House District 31, which has been represented in Hartford for the last eight years by State Representative Jill Barry. When faced with the choice of the more moderate/independent Jill Barry versus the more left wing Moise Carelus, in these times of severe political division in America, I invite Glastonbury residents to consider voting for Jill over Moise.

When evaluating any state legislator, we should be fair: criticize the votes with which we disagree but also acknowledge the votes with which we agree.

Although I have publicly disagreed with many of Jill’s votes, I believe she deserves credit for certain things. Several months ago, Jill spent more than three hours meeting with me to discuss seven years worth of state legislation. She also gave me her personal email address and cellphone number and has responded promptly to many of my legislative questions and concerns. I believe that very few elected officials would devote that much time to a constituent - especially one who has frequently publicly criticized many of their votes.

Jill’s legislative record does show some meaningful areas of agreement with conservatives. In a group of rated bills that I examined, Jill aligned with the Yankee Institute 91.30 percent of the time. She was twice named “Legislator of the Year” by the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association and received a perfect 2025 legislative score from the Connecticut Business and Industry Association. These positions matter to residents who are concerned about public safety, fiscal conservatism, small businesses, and workforce development.

Jill also correctly opposed three common sense bills that her opponent has criticized her for voting against. HB 5043 imposed additional regulations and compliance burdens on lawful dealers and manufacturers. SB 397 sought to limit federal immigration enforcement in polling places, schools and other locations. HB 5044 expanded state authority over vaccine standards, empowered one unelected bureaucrat (the Department of Public Health commissioner) to define the “standard of care”, and rewrote portions of Connecticut’s religious-freedom law while litigation over the state’s former religious exemption remains ongoing. Jill’s opposition to these bills did not make it easier for criminals to obtain assault weapons, prevent ICE from following existing federal law, or make vaccines unavailable to children - as her opponent incorrectly claimed.

Several Connecticut advocacy organizations also provide useful perspectives on Jill’s record. In the group of rated bills I examined, Jill aligned with the Connecticut Citizens Defense League 50 percent of the time, Connecticut Residents Against Medical Mandates 50 percent of the time and CT169Strong 57.1 percent of the time. While I personally would have preferred higher alignment percentages than these, these figures paint a picture of Jill as a moderate legislator and should appeal especially to the unaffiliated voters who make up approximately 43 percent of the 31st district.

My review of Jill's broader voting record produced a similar conclusion. Of Jill’s 986 recorded votes, 87.4 percent aligned with Democrats and 69.2 percent aligned with Republicans. Much of her Republican alignment occurred on bipartisan legislation. When the parties divided, Jill sided with Democrats 245 times and Republicans 65 times - a nearly 4-to-1 difference. Therefore, the suggestion that Jill betrayed the Democratic Party is difficult to reconcile with her actual record.

At the same time, Jill has demonstrated greater independence than many legislators. She has worked with Republicans and moderate Democrats behind the scenes in order to make extreme legislation less extreme. She appears to have tried to serve the people of Glastonbury rather than automatically following instructions from party leadership. As an outsider looking in, I believe the Glastonbury Democratic Party’s rejection of Jill after her many years of service was shortsighted and wrong.

Sarah Dzialo, Glastonbury