The following article was compiled from a press release.
At the Republican convention held on Monday, May 16 at Wilton’s Trackside Teen Center, State Representative Gail Lavielle (R-Wilton) received the delegates’ unanimous endorsement as their candidate to represent the 143rd Assembly district, which comprises most of Wilton, the eastern section of Norwalk, and the western part of Westport.
Currently serving her third term in the state House of Representatives, Lavielle is the House Ranking Member of the General Assembly’s Education Committee, one of the legislature’s largest joint standing committees, and a member of the Appropriations and Transportation Committees. She is also the House Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation.
According to Wilton DTC chair Deborah McFadden, there will be no candidate nominated by area Democrats to run against Lavielle.
In nominating Lavielle, Wilton resident Eric Cameron said, “I have known Gail for many years, and it’s a privilege to nominate her. Certainly no legislator works harder, and Gail also brings exceptional intelligence, integrity, mastery of the most complex issues, and diplomacy to the job. She doesn’t approach issues or bills with preconceived ideas, but instead looks at them analytically and with an open mind. Time and again she has demonstrated her deep understanding of the serious budgetary and economic issues facing Connecticut, and she always makes it her business not just to talk about them, but to offer concrete solutions. She is a forceful advocate and a true champion for our district, and we need her continued leadership in Hartford.”
Olga Arteaga of Norwalk and Michael Calise of Westport seconded the nomination.
When she accepted their nomination on Monday, Lavielle reported to the convention delegates that her campaign committee had completed its fundraising for the 2016 election cycle, having already raised more than the number and amount of contributions required to apply for a grant from the Connecticut Citizens’ Election Fund.
Accepting the nomination, Lavielle said, “I am honored and humbled by this nomination and deeply grateful for the support I have received from all three communities that I have the privilege to represent. Today our beautiful state faces many challenges, but I believe we can overcome them if everyone in the General Assembly works together to put good government before politics. This means reducing the tax pressure on people and small businesses. It means making the state friendlier to businesses so that they come here, and stay here, and create jobs. It means rigorously controlling borrowing and spending, while strategically and transparently dedicating tax dollars to essentials like education, infrastructure, and critical services for the truly needy. It means lifting the burden of costly, one-size-fits-all mandates on our towns and cities. And it means basing key policies on plausible, realistic revenue projections. Connecticut is endowed with enormous potential, and I am committed to setting our state on a sustainable, predictable path that will restore economic stability and opportunity for families, businesses, and towns. I thank you for putting your trust in me once again.”
Lavielle was first elected to the state House of Representatives in 2010. Before her appointment as Education Committee Ranking Member, she served as Ranking Member of the Commerce Committee. She is also a member of the School Construction Priority Project List Review Committee, and has served on the legislature’s Education Mandate Relief Task Force and in the Language Acquisition and Education Equity Workgroup. During her time in the state House, the League of Conservation Voters has named her an Environmental Champion four times, and the Early Childhood Alliance has named her a Children’s Champion twice. She has also received the “Woman of the Year” award from the Homebuilders and Remodelers Association of Fairfield County, the “Humanitarian Award” from STAR, Inc., and the “Parent & Child Hero Award” from CT Parent Power.
Lavielle’s background combines business and public service experience. She worked for more than 25 years in finance, marketing, and communication, holding executive leadership positions with Fortune 500 corporations. Locally, she has served on the Wilton Board of Finance and the Wilton Energy Commission. She holds an MA in French from Yale, a BA in English from Cornell, and an MBA in finance from UConn, and is the author of a book on opera. She and her husband Jean-Pierre live in Wilton.