Each of these local candidates in the November election was invited to submit biographical information and to reply to the questions below.
What are the top two issues facing Connecticut and what will you do about them if elected? Here are their responses.
State Senator 7th District
Cynthia Mangini, Democratic Candidate
I am Cynthia Mangini. I have been an Enfield resident for over 50 years. I earned my Associates in the Arts degree from Asnuntuck Community college, went on to earn my Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Connecticut and a Masters in law from western New England University. I have represented Enfield as a town council member for 20 years. I also have served as a board member for Connecticut Conference of Municipalities. As the first woman from Connecticut to serve on the board of directors for National League of Cities, I served as vice chair of the Finance Administrative Intergovernmental Relations committee and on the public finance committee. I am honored to have been able to serve in these capacities.
As your State Senator I will defend our freedoms and make our state more appealing and prosperous. I support early voting and increased accessed to voting. Laws that protect LGBTQ, minorities and other groups who are often discriminated against need to be strengthened. Supporting women’s reproductive rights, stronger gun safety laws, continuing to support tax reductions, protecting our environment through better legislation, improving our infrastructure—roads and bridges—including expanding public transport, and bringing better paying jobs to Connecticut are all ways this will be accomplished.
We are living in challenging times. Two top issues facing our state are women’s reproductive rights, and taxes. In order to provide our residents with the quality of life they deserve, we need to address these issues. I will take steps necessary to protect women’s reproductive rights by supporting a woman’s right to make her own reproductive decisions. It is not government’s role to make these decisions for her. Also, I will ensure that our state takes measures to work with fiscal responsibility. To accomplish these goals, it is important that government work in a bi-partisan fashion. I have reached across the aisle numerous times on a local level to successfully get the work done. I will continue in this manner to meet our goals on a state level.
State Senator 7th District
John Kissel, Republican Incumbent
State Senator John A. Kissel, is currently the Chief Deputy Senate Republican Leader, and the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, addressing matters relating to the Department of Corrections, courts, judicial procedures, and criminal law.
Sen. Kissel also serves as Ranking Senator on the Regulations Review Committee, which reviews regulations proposed by state agencies before regulations are implemented. Additionally, he serves as a member of the General Law and Transportation Committees.
For many years, Senator Kissel has been a leading advocate for seniors. He has received Legislative Achievement Awards from AARP for his efforts to protect seniors from financial exploitation.
The Connecticut chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) selected Senator Kissel to receive the Public Policy Award for his dedication to promote safe and sober driving through legislation in 2016.
In 2012, Senator Kissel was named Legislator of the Year by the Connecticut National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials for his efforts in promoting safe, sanitary and drug-free housing.
In 2007, he received the Connecticut Commission on Aging’s Agewise Advocate Award, given for ongoing exemplary support of seniors. He was recognized by the Connecticut Association of Adult Day Care Centers for his work on behalf of adult day cares.
Senator Kissel was named Legislator of the Year by the Connecticut Assisted Living Association and the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association.
I am running for re-election because the 7th District deserves a strong voice that will fight for working families to make Connecticut safe and affordable. Connecticut’s economy and its policies are not delivering for working, middle class families. We are facing a 40-year high inflation in a state where residents are overtaxed and income growth is not keeping up with the cost of living. Every working- and middle-class family is experiencing tough times, trying to figure out how to balance their household budgets and meet the needs of their loved ones as prices skyrocket on everything from food to heating oil to health care. Connecticut must do better. I’ve put forward a package of proposals that show a better way forward. These include proposals to cut taxes by over $1.2 billion including a permanent cut to the income tax on wages, social security and pensions, a plan to reduce families’ health insurance premiums by over $6,400 per year on average, and policies to better support our workforce with pathways to careers and job growth. Learn more at BetterWayCT.com
We need to make our state a safer place with a holistic approach to not only address the symptoms of crime, but to get to the root causes of crime—that includes judicial reforms, creating opportunity, safe housing, and mental health support. We must create opportunities and good paying jobs that will enable everyone to find prosperity and success. I have advocated for comprehensive solutions to improve Connecticut’s crime response, support law enforcement, and remove barriers to intervention services, as well as policies to address the root causes of crime including issues related to trauma, education, housing, and jobs. I will continue to fight for solutions that not only ensure law enforcement and our justice system have the tools they need to keep all people safe, but that also strive to end the cycle of juvenile injustice and a lack of opportunity that pushes people, especially young people, towards crime. Learn more at SaferCT.com
State Senator 8th District
Paul Honig, Democratic Candidate
Paul Honig lives in Harwinton with his wife, Diane, and their two sons, Jake (23) and Harry (20). Honig is currently serving his second term on the Harwinton Board of Selectmen. Honig graduated from the University of Pennsylvania’s Dual Degree Management and Technology program in 1985. He earned a BSE in finance from the Wharton School of Business and a BAS from the School of Engineering and Applied Science in computer science. Honig had a successful 22-year career in fixed income finance. He currently serves as treasurer for two local charities and is a Food Rescue US volunteer.
Affordability is an important issue facing our state. Connecticut was an expensive place to live even before the inflation we’ve experienced recently. With the current surplus, I’m committed to finding sustainable ways to reduce taxes on working families. I’m open to continuing the gas tax holiday, extending the child tax rebate, expanding the exemption of retirement income from state income taxes, and listening to other ideas.
However, taxes aren’t the only problem. It’s the cost of healthcare, housing, electricity, education and internet access. For me the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs is most pressing. It’s a burden on individuals, it’s a huge burden on businesses, and municipal, and state budgets. In recent years, the state passed a landmark transparency law to shine a light on the process for pricing prescription drugs. Drug companies must provide an explanation when the price of a drug increases above a threshold— but the law has no teeth. I support creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Board like several other states have done with the authority to cap drug prices when they’re priced unfairly.
The Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision handed down in June has made abortion rights a top issue in Connecticut. Abortion is a personal decision, and the state should not be involved. The vast majority of abortions happen very early on in a pregnancy. Tragic, situations resulting from complications affecting the life or health of the mother or the viability of the pregnancy lead to abortions later in a pregnancy. Medical practitioners who perform or assist with abortions should not have to think twice about providing critical medical care, or worry that they might be breaking the law. I support last year’s legislation that expanded those practitioners allowed to perform some abortions and protected abortion providers and patients from being sued in state courts that have vigilante anti-abortion laws. Connecticut’s abortion laws have served its women well for more than 30 years. I support them and will fight to preserve them.
State Senator 8th District
Lisa Seminara, Republican Candidate
I am an elected member of the Avon Board of Education, licensed clinical social worker and dedicated community servant. I graduated with honors from St. John’s University and later earned a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University. My husband Nick and I have three children: Martina, Madelyn and Nicholas. When Martina was born with Cerebral Palsy, advocating for her and for all who live with disabilities became my life’s mission. I founded the Avon Special Education Parent Association, became active in Special Olympics, Amy’s Angels, and created a nonprofit that developed a large parcel of land into Avon’s first fully handicap-accessible playground that was then donated to the Town of Avon. I am a candidate for the State Senate seat in District 8, as a Republican and Independent.
Connecticut’s Economy: We need common-sense reforms to bring inflation under control, attract private investment, stop government overreach, and create the conditions for sustainable economic growth. There is no single policy or piece of legislation that will accomplish this. The only way to create a truly affordable Connecticut is to elect people who will consistently apply common-sense principles to every bill that crosses their desks. I will be relentless in pushing back on waste and reckless spending with the following commitments to restore affordability.
Spend Within Our Means and Reduce Tax Burden: Connecticut suffers from a spending problem. Confine state budget spending to only what we can afford. Require adherence to the constitutional spending cap.
Pay Down Debt: Reduce the amount of borrowing—bonding should be limited to public works projects, e.g., schools and roads. Eliminate pet projects and fund only those projects that provide a compelling return on investment.
If It’s Not Broken, Don’t Fix It; But If It’s Not Working, Get Rid of It: For every new budget line item created, at least one must be eliminated—stop the endless bureaucracy expansion and eliminate programs that do not deliver results. Require evaluations of every state-funded program every two years.
The More Government Tries to Do, The Less It Does Well: Be laser-focused on the core functions of government and hold departmental leaders accountable for their agency’s performance.
We Should Have All the Government We Need, But Only the Government We Need: Consolidate government services to eliminate duplication, waste, and fraud. Oppose legislation that results in more regulation. Support legislation that results in lower taxes, expanded opportunities for entrepreneurs, a more friendly climate for businesses, and places real value on innovation, responsibility, and hard work.
Crime: I will restore safety and security by supporting policies that protect victims, deter crime, and support law enforcement. The Connecticut State Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed me as, “the best candidate to move the safety and security of this state forward.”
Attracting and retaining good police officers must be a priority that starts by having their back and protecting them from personal liability stemming from baseless complaints.
Fentanyl killed over 1,500 people last year in Connecticut and in most cases, the user was unaware that the drug had been laced with Fentanyl. The penalties in Connecticut for those that distribute this deadly drug must be severe enough to end this crisis.
State Representative 62nd District
Kim Becker, Democratic Candidate
My husband Chris and I moved our family to Granby 14 years ago to be close to my parents. Since then, I have used my Masters in Social Work every day in my community work and family life. It was my honor to be a Chair of Valley Pre-School, on the steering committee for Celebrate Granby 225, and the education reporter for The Granby Drummer. Currently, I serve our community as Chair of the Granby Education Foundation, board member of the Granby Ambulance Association, and a member of the Granby Commission on Aging. As a Cyber Lion, I also volunteer at the Barkhamsted Senior Center.
In this work, I learned how to collaborate to forge the best solutions and that leadership has much more to do with listening and doing than titles. As your State Representative, I will work tirelessly on the issues that you told me are important: affordability, quality healthcare, good public schools, helping seniors, and working in a bipartisan way to ensure that policies made in Hartford help our rural towns.
When I speak with people across the district, affordability is the key issue. Many people, particularly those on fixed incomes, are concerned about keeping their homes and staying in their communities. Because our small towns haven’t had a seat at the table with the leadership in Hartford, they have no idea how the policies made there impact here.
As your State Representative, I will work across the aisle to find common ground and fair solutions to issues that matter to us: good schools, quality healthcare, and stabilized property taxes. Because the Democrats voted to pay down the pension debts that have plagued Connecticut for decades, the state can now afford to fully fund our schools through the Education Cost Sharing and Special Needs Education formulas. This would be a win for our students, our town budgets, and our property taxes. By taking the pressure and uncertainty off the largest part of our towns’ budgets, we can reduce our reliance on property taxes to fund the schools, the backbone of our communities.
I also hear a lot of concern about the economy in general. High inflation and energy costs have taken a toll on our family budgets, especially for our seniors and those on fixed incomes. Connecticut has some of the highest energy costs in the country both because our regulators are recruited out of the industry and because of our reliance on natural gas to create electricity. As your State Representative, I will support efforts to break the revolving door between regulators and industry. We need regulators who will hold the industry accountable to consumers, not plump the profits of shareholders. Additionally, I believe the Consumer Advocate’s role should be stronger putting consumers, not shareholders, front and center in rate discussions. This position should have the ability to truly oppose the outrageous rate spikes this public utility has demanded each year and actually protect consumers. I will also work to reduce our reliance on natural gas by investing in clean energy industries and in education programs to train workers moving into these jobs. While these investments will take time, they will make Connecticut a leader in clean energy and job growth.
My experience and skills of building trust and working across the aisle to improve our communities make me the best choice to represent the 62nd District. I ask for your vote on Nov. 8.
State Representative 62nd District
Mark Anderson, Republican Incumbent
My first term as your State Representative has been deeply rewarding. I have enjoyed assisting constituents, building relationships, and promoting the best public policies for Connecticut. My wife Carole and I have lived in the 62nd District for over eight years, first in Hartland and then in Granby. Carole is a retired dental hygienist, and our three daughters live in Granby and Hartland. My two sons live nearby in Western Massachusetts. We have one granddaughter who we care for twice a week.
Before entering politics, my call to public service was with the Army. It was a dual career as a part-time Army Reserve Military Intelligence officer, and as a full-time Army civilian employee. I served in multiple command, supervisory, and staff positions while assigned to infantry, military intelligence, civil affairs and logistics units. The highlight of this service was a 2+ year mobilization to the Defense Intelligence Agency at the Pentagon. There, I led a team of analysts in the Iraq Intelligence Working Group which provided daily intelligence to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. While there, I was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
I earned a Bachelor’s in Government from Western New England University. Following retirement from the Army, I completed a Master’s in Public Policy from Liberty University in 2018. I am also a 2021 graduate of the Charter Oak Leadership Program, which aspires “to be Connecticut’s premier institute to develop, strengthen, train and equip emerging leaders to reach new heights in public policy and the political process.” All of these studies have prepared me to be a better legislator.
In my free time, I enjoy travel, as well as outdoor activities like hiking, biking, wildlife photography, hunting, fishing, kayaking, and golf. Despite the legislature being a part-time job, however, there never seems to be enough time for leisure activities.
For me, these are making Connecticut more affordable, and increasing local control. Both are among the five legislative proposals of the House Republican Campaign Committee’s Contract with Connecticut. They are backed by the Republican House leadership, legislators, and candidates, and are not simply the good ideas of one legislator.
First, the proposed Affordable Connecticut Act offers relief to residents who face tremendous financial pressure from inflation and decades of tax increases. It includes reducing the income tax from 5 percent to 4 percent for the middle class, increasing property tax credits, reducing the sales tax, and repealing the highway use tax (HUT) on trucks that will drive up the cost of everything. The HUT will go into effect on January 1, 2023.
Second, the proposed Local Control Act would reduce state interference in local affairs. One example is to “take a more honest approach to affordable housing by including existing properties that meet income-based affordability standards, and eliminate the requirement for deed restrictions for owner-occupied affordable housing which restricts the ability to create home equity.”
In conclusion, these proposed changes may seem too incremental for some. They are, however, a reversal from long term trends by lowering taxes and empowering local government. I ask for your vote on Nov. 8, so that, as stated in the Contract with Connecticut, I can be part of “a new legislative majority that will challenge the status quo and transform a state government that is too big, too expensive, and too intrusive.”