Bio

Jayme Stevenson is an experienced leader. She served as Darien’s first selectman from 2011-2021 and during her tenure was elected chairman of the Western Connecticut Council of Governments, chairman of the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency, and first vice-president of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.

Jayme currently serves on the Boards for LifeBridge Community Services in Bridgeport, Stamford Emergency Medical Services, and The Rowen Center.

Jayme was born in Reading, PA, and received her B.S. in Telecommunications/Business Management from Arizona State University. She began her career as a bond analyst for Standard & Poor’s and then as Vice President, Asset-Backed Finance. Jayme and her husband John, a native of Stamford/Darien, have been married 35 years, raised a family of five children, and have two grandchildren.

Op-Ed

It’s Time…

I’ve treasured meeting residents in the 17 communities in Southwestern Connecticut that make up the 4th Congressional District and listening to their thoughts, concerns, hopes and dreams. This midterm election is extremely consequential and will set the direction of our nation for the foreseeable future. It’s time to course correct and elect an experienced, common-sense leader who knows how government policies affect families and businesses every day and can bring down the political temperature in Congress. I retired myself after 10 years of local, regional and statewide leadership and signed the federal term limits pledge. As your next Congresswoman, I will work for you, not for party leaders or for personal gain like so many who have simply served too long.

Born and raised in Reading, PA, one of the poorest cities in America, my parents instilled in me the foundational importance of a good education. All children have the right to high-quality education, free from ideological content that strays from rigorous academic studies. It’s time for real school choice, where money follows the child and every family is free to decide which learning environment is best for their children and free from medical mandates that force parents to inoculate their children against their religious or personal will.

The pandemic and public policy decisions to manage it have taken a serious toll on our families, children and businesses and have added extra burden to an already floundering Connecticut economy. Just as our small businesses were beginning to recover, the Federal Reserve must intentionally slow the economy to fight historic inflation exacerbated by too much government spending, supply chain disruptions, a war on fossil fuels and global unrest.

During my opponent’s 14 years in Congress, the quality of life in Connecticut has declined. The state is 50th in federal funds coming back from Washington! Our trains are slower and our highways, bridges and federally-funded housing projects are in disrepair. Bridgeport’s Congress Street Bridge, which has been broken for 25 years, is symbolic of the lack of progress in 14 years. I’ve spoken to the homeless residents who gather every Sunday under the John’s Street Bridge to receive a hot meal from caring volunteers. They’ve been left behind. It’s time to elect a leader focused on CT’s strategic needs and getting results.

I believe in the pursuit of cleaner energy solutions but not at the expense of families and businesses. It’s time for a comprehensive energy policy that ignites the vast fossil fuel reserves in the U.S. and removes reliance on supplies from global foes, while we pursue clean energy innovations and build a more resilient grid needed to support a transition to electric transportation.

Since President Biden took office, nearly five million migrants from over 150 countries have entered the U.S. illegally. People come to the U.S. because of the freedoms guaranteed by our Constitution making this the greatest country in the world! Of great concern, however, is the flow of illegal guns, sex trafficking and enough fentanyl coming through the southern border to kill every man, woman and child in America. It’s time for a champion of sustainable, legal immigration policy and well-trained law enforcement to protect our borders and a champion of law enforcement and SROs to keep our streets and schools safe.

I support women’s rights to make our own medical decisions but not the radical position of many on the left who support abortion up to the time of birth. As a woman and a mother of four daughters, I know why it’s so important to protect women’s rights in the doctor’s office, locker room and board room. My opponent had 14 years to do this work, yet did nothing. It’s time for a woman to be at the congressional table to lead this discussion and return medical equality to women across America.

Connecticut deserves a congresswoman who understands how the economy works and will focus on bringing more of our tax dollars back home. Receiving the Independent Party nomination reflects my record of working across the aisle on public policy issues to achieve results and my willingness to stand up to my party when you need me to. As a local leader who for over a decade managed through many damaging storms, floods and a global pandemic, my opponent never once reached out to see if our residents were ok. Every municipality in the district deserves collaborative representation.

It’s time for a congresswoman who is a champion for Connecticut, our children, families and small businesses by prioritizing great education, our children’s health, safe streets and a secure nation.

Positive change will never happen by electing the same person and expecting a different result.

It’s time for positive change. I ask for your support and your vote on Nov. 8.