I am a longtime Granby resident and find myself very enthused to see two local Democratic women vying for the party’s nomination in the race for the Connecticut House of Representatives in our district. They both appear to be energetic and eager to take on our long-time Republican incumbent, Bill Simanski.
One of the women, Valerie Eastwood, has particularly stood out to me. Valerie is a lawyer with an advanced law degree in taxation; she has spent her career as a specialist in healthcare policy and as an advocate for health insurance reform and coverage. She has over 25 years in legal practice experience. She has worked as a labor and health lawyer within the federal government, spending years as an attorney-manager in the Medicare program, and in private practice. She is well versed in the intricacies of labor issues, health insurance and public policy, statutes and regulations. She is a team player who is also trained in mediation and conflict resolution—skills that will be useful in the Connecticut State House—and she regularly volunteers as a facilitator at MacDougall-Walker Correctional Facility, a high security prison in Suffield. Eastwood has a long resume of accomplishments and service, and presents a proven track record.
Eastwood’s willingness to work with others, to not just discuss but to take action and seek resolution is why I find her especially impressive. We need to field a candidate with the knowledge and experience to meet Mr. Simanski on his own turf and beat him in an issues-based campaign. Valerie Eastwood is the best candidate to do this.