Many Choices Available in Election 2016
By Robin Vinci | Editor at November 3, 2023 | 2:00 pm | Print
Election Day is Nov. 8 and residents will not only have the opportunity to vote for a new President of the United States, but for many local positions as well.
In the 6th District there are three candidates. Incumbent Democrat Theresa Gerratana, Republican nominee Charles Paonessa and Sharon Beloin-Saavedra who is running unaffiliated.
Gerratana has been in office since Feb. 2011. She first served in the Connecticut General Assembly as a member of the state House of Representatives for ten years, from 1993 to 2003. She helped pass children’s health care legislation.
Paonessa is self-employed and President of the Board of Directors for the Re-CONNstruction Center. He said “Senator Terry Gerratana is, in part, responsible for Connecticut’s fiscal mess. A strong economy is bolstered by a vibrant small business community.”
Beloin-Saavedra is New Britain Board of Education President. Her top priorities include Policy & financial reform in support of public education and job growth in career pathways through education, economic development opportunities/incentives and partnering with Chamber of Commerce.
In the 25th District Republican Richard Gadomski is running against Democratic Incumbent Robert Sanchez.
Gadomski said he wants to focus on getting jobs back, restoring pride into Connecticut like people used to have, lowering taxes at the State level and looking at education.
Sanchez has been in his position since 2011. He served on the New Britain Board of Education, where he was a strong voice for quality education for all children. He is also well known for his work at the Human Resources Agency of New Britain.
The 22nd District features an interesting race between Democratic Incumbent Betty Boukus and Republican challenger Dr. William Petit.
Boukus said, “There are many projects in New Britain for which I have been very instrumental in securing funding such as the renovation of Beehive Field and technology upgrades at the Hospital for Special Care. I have also been a strong supporter of needed school renovation projects including those at E.C. Goodwin and DiLoreto Magnet School.”
Petit said, “I am running for state representative because through decades of one-party rule in the legislature, we have developed huge financial problems. Connecticut is at a crossroads and difficult decisions are going to have to be made in the coming years in order to put us back on track.”
The 24th District features Democratic Incumbent Rick Lopes against Republican challenger Jim Sanders Jr.
Lopes is a member of the Finance Committee which decides how state tax money is spent. Lopes says his other major priority is fairness in education funding and ensuring New Britain schools receive the money they need.
Sanders, a New Britain Alderman, said his top priority will be to help the district bring back businesses by making the district business friendly again.
District 26 features Peter Tercyak, the Democratic incumbent versus Republican newcomer Desiree Agosto.
Tercyak is the Chair of the Labor and Public Employees Committee. Agosto is the Community Development Manager for the New Britain-Berlin YMCA.
There are also three charter questions.
Number 1 wants to Change the Mayor’s term from 2 years to 4 years.
Number 2 wants to change the term of tax collector from 2 to 4 years.
Number 3 deals with several issues including requiring the Common Council to review, establish, and act upon rates of compensation for elected officials in every even numbered year; the preparation and submission of a five-year Capital Projects Budget; to change the water billing cycle from semi-annually to monthly or quarterly and to require that bills are due and payable within 30 days; to revise the definition of an elective official in this section to include time served as an elective official when there was an appointment by the Common Council to fill a vacancy of an elective office and more.
