[Editorial]
It is election season, and who do you vote for? That is the question after the psychopath in power... our election process is geared to electing them.
With Trump, his promises held more sway than his actions from the first term. Why? People knew what he was like, but still they voted for him. Why?
The reason why is debatable, but I think the main reason for it was bigotry. Trump was against immigrants, and so were the voters. But they never questioned how he was going to do it.
"No more wars!" But the voters didn't question it. They just read his lips, not his actions.
So now we are in another election cycle and promises are being made: cut taxes, more houses, fix healthcare, lower electric bills, etc., etc., etc.
But not one of them has said how. In the old days, it was called buying a "pig in a poke"—meaning buying or accepting something without checking it first, which means you might get tricked or end up with something of low quality. And that is how our elections are becoming.
Here in Connecticut, we see the same thing, promises without substance! In the First District, there is a heated race. The incumbent of 27 years with a huge war chest is up against the former mayor of Hartford, who has the backing of money—millions! And one other candidate is a state representative who is not backed by any PACs.
The former mayor’s PACs have saturated the media with ads; the other day, I got three ads from him in the mail in one day! In all the ads, he claims he is going to generate change in Washington with a fresh vision for the future. However, no one knows how he is going to bring a new vision to Washington.
How are they going to lower the price of electricity? How, with the war in Iran driving up prices?
"I’m going to cut property taxes"—how will you make up for the loss in revenue? You either have to make drastic cuts in services! So where are they cutting? What services? Cuts to the senior center? Cuts to road repair? Cuts to education?
As the saying goes, “The devil is in the details.”
Our election system is based on attack ads. We have settled for “pie in the sky” promises. We vote because we are against the other guy. We don't care what they want to do because all we care about is defeating the other guy!
How many people do this small bit of research? How many of us have checked the candidates' voting records? How many of us voters have shrugged off our duties as voters? We vote party lines... we don't care how they voted, what they say, or what they don't say, as long as they are against the other party. That for many of us is our voting criteria... who they are against.
The candidate running against the governor—how many of us have googled his record? Or any other candidate’s record?
My vote in the primary will be for Gilchrest*. Why? I googled her, and this is what I found:
- Background: Gilchrest has served in the Connecticut House of Representatives since 2019, representing the 18th District (West Hartford), and has a professional background as a social worker and nonprofit executive (including leading NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut). [Ballotpedia]
- Key Issues: Her campaign centers on strong progressive policies, including Medicare for All, comprehensive healthcare reform, abortion access, and rigorous campaign finance reform to get "big money out of politics."
- The Ground Game: While she has been heavily out-raised financially by both Larson and Bronin, Gilchrest has leaned heavily on an extensive, grassroots door-knocking strategy across the district's suburbs to build momentum. [CT Mirror]
How many people have just done that… googled the candidate?
Elections are not a spectator sport.
[/Editorial]
*Why I am voting for her in the primary:
I first met Rep. Gilchrest when she was interning for the Connecticut Education Justice and Legal Fund (now She Leads Justice). Her office—and the NARAL office—was just down the hallway from mine. Coupled with the fact that she is a graduate of the UConn School of Social Work, I have always known her to be a genuine "people person" who will put everyday residents before corporations.
1. Key Policy Focus and Votes
As a social worker by background, Gilchrest’s voting record and sponsorship history consistently align with liberal and labor-aligned priorities:
- Healthcare & Reproductive Rights: Voted for and led efforts to expand and protect reproductive healthcare access in Connecticut, safeguarding abortion rights following federal rollbacks. She has consistently supported measures to lower healthcare costs and protect Medicaid coverage.
- Social Services & Human Services: As the Chair of the Human Services Committee and a member of the Appropriations Committee, she has voted in favor of expanding state social safety nets, funding mental health initiatives, and supporting individuals with criminal records or those formerly incarcerated.
- Labor & Workplace Rights: Voted in support of legislation to expand paid family and medical leave in Connecticut and strengthen protections for working families.
- Public Health & Civil Rights: Supported landmark measures such as legislation declaring racism a public health crisis in Connecticut and laws addressing human trafficking (she serves as chair of the CT Trafficking in Persons Council).
2. Legislative Scorecards: Interest-group scorecards provide a look at how external organizations evaluate her voting behavior:
- Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA): Business scorecards (such as the CBIA evaluation) typically score her lower on fiscal and economic regulations, reflecting her progressive stance on labor mandates and state spending.
- Environmental and Social Advocacy Groups: She routinely receives high marks from progressive, environmental (such as the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters), and social advocacy scorecards for supporting state conservation funding and social equity bills.
How many people do this small bit of research?
