Every Friday until Election Day, GOOD Morning Wilton publishes Letters to the Editor that we’ve received about the candidates and/or election-related issues. Letters are limited to 225 words and must be signed with a full name and verifiable address. GMW will publish up to 15 letters each week in the order in which they are received with a deadline of Thursday at noon; any letters received after we hit that 15-letter limit and/or deadline will be held for subsequent weeks. Election Letters to the Editor can be submitted through the “Submit a Story” link on the main menu before noon on Thursdays. Please click HERE to read our election coverage guidelines, policies and requirements about Letters before submitting one.
Sam Nestor Has All the Qualifications for State Senate
To the Editor:
I write to endorse Samantha Nestor, Democrat, for the 26th District CT Senate seat.
Sam has all the qualifications. She is the elected current first selectwoman of Weston. She has grappled with local issues. She has had to work with parties, people and issues that have conflicting ideas. She has had to deal with the same terrible storms that affected Wilton. In all this her work has shone brightly.
Sam knows and has worked with the elected representatives and volunteers in the eight-town district. She understands the issues that need to be taken to Hartford to discuss and resolve for our present and future. She knows and has worked with many of the Hartford leadership. There would be no steep learning curve.
Sam is also a very pleasant warm person. She is open to listening to all. She is a wife and mother of school age children.
Vote for Sam Nestor for State Senate.
John Kalamarides
Reelect Gov. Ned Lamont
Letter to the Editor:
Governors are tested when things go wrong. Ned Lamont led Connecticut through the pandemic, one of the hardest stretches in modern memory, with a calm, practical style. I know from personal and family experience how overwhelming the pandemic was, not only in Connecticut but elsewhere. As difficult as things got, I went through it with confidence that my state was working well and in my best interests.
Connecticut achieved some of the highest vaccination rates in the country, and Gov. Lamont communicated directly and regularly with residents when uncertainty was everywhere. He didn’t turn a public health emergency into a political performance. That temperament matters, because the next storm, outage or economic shock is always coming.
I want someone in the governor’s office who listens to experts, speaks plainly and keeps his composure. That is why I’m voting to reelect Gov. Lamont this November.
Ronald Rendell
We Need Sam Nestor’s Dedication, Experience and Vision In CT State Senate
To the Editor:
As we look to the future of our community, it is vital to elect a proven leader who understands the daily pressures facing families, businesses and local governments. Sam Nestor embodies the dedication, experience, and forward-thinking vision we need in the CT State Senate.
As a dedicated first selectwoman, Sam has been on the front lines of fiscal management and municipal leadership. Her platform addresses our most pressing challenges with practical solutions. On healthcare, she understands firsthand the alarming escalation of insurance costs and will fight to hold insurers accountable while expanding access to care. In education, Sam champions robust support for teachers, science-based programs, full funding for special education and diverse career pathways for all learners.
Furthermore, Sam is committed to easing our energy and affordability burdens by holding utilities accountable and accelerating investments in renewable energy. Sam endorses a state child tax credit, school construction reimbursements for towns and a stronger Child Care Endowment Fund. She brings a balanced, thoughtful approach to housing — working to lower administrative barriers to encourage smart growth while protecting our vital infrastructure. Crucially, Sam stands as an unwavering defender of democracy, civil rights, reproductive freedom and equality for all.
Sam Nestor is a bridge-builder who leads with service and delivers with purpose. I proudly endorse Sam Nestor for state Senator to ensure that our communities thrive.
David Tatkow
Fazio will Protect Our Towns, Make Connecticut Affordable Again
To the Editor:
Connecticut is a remarkable state, with beautiful communities, excellent schools, hardworking families and tremendous potential. Yet the cost of living has become increasingly unsustainable. High taxes, soaring energy bills and everyday expenses are putting tremendous pressure on families, seniors and businesses. This cannot continue without meaningful action.
That is why I support Ryan Fazio for governor.
Ryan’s commitment to affordability, fiscal responsibility and economic opportunity reflects the priorities I believe Connecticut desperately needs. We need leadership that recognizes the urgency of these challenges and is willing to address them.
Equally important to me is Ryan’s commitment to local control. Decisions that directly affect our towns, neighborhoods, schools and property owners should be made by the people who know their communities best, not dictated by Hartford. Connecticut’s towns are unique, and preserving their ability to make decisions that reflect their residents’ needs is essential.
For me, this election is about more than Republicans and Democrats. It is about protecting what makes Connecticut special while making it a more affordable, prosperous place for everyone.
I support Ryan Fazio because I believe our state needs a new direction, one that puts Connecticut residents and their communities first.
Jess Christ
Sean Scanlon Protects our Tax Dollars
To the Editor:
As comptroller for the State of Connecticut, Sean Scanlon is our chief accountant. He manages the books and tracks our tax dollars to ensure that they are spent as intended.
One part of that job is to oversee the health plans for state employees and retirees. As we all know, health care costs are one of the biggest pressures on both families and the state budget. This gives Scanlon a direct stake in bringing health care costs under control while protecting quality. He has made health care affordability a central theme in his work — a perspective that I particularly support.
Sean Scanlon uses his role as state comptroller to work on problems that touch our lives. I support him for reelection wholeheartedly. Please join me in sending him back to Hartford for another term.
Valerie Rosenson
Jim Himes has Earned Another Term in Congress
To the Editor:
I’m voting to reelect Congressman Jim Himes, and I encourage my neighbors in Connecticut’s 4th District to do the same. I have known Jim [since] he first ran for Congress and have supported him ever since.
On national security, Himes brings seriousness and experience. As the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, he is among Congress’ best-informed voices on threats from hostile foreign powers, terrorism and cyberattacks. He approaches issues with a command of the facts rather than partisan rhetoric.
He also takes seriously that security and liberty must go together. In debates over surveillance authorities, Himes has argued that Americans should be protected from threats without giving up constitutional safeguards. Strong oversight, clear limits and accountability aren’t obstacles to security. They’re what make it legitimate and lasting.
Finally, Himes understands governing requires partnership. On the Intelligence Committee, where trust across party lines is essential, he has worked with Republican colleagues on oversight and national defense. In polarized Washington, that willingness to engage is rare and valuable.
Connecticut deserves a representative who is thoughtful, informed, and focused on results. Jim has time and time again been willing to learn about and discuss areas that are not in his usual wheelhouse. I’ve enjoyed meeting with him in Connecticut and DC to continue conversations on a wide variety of topics. Jim Himes has earned another term.
Russell D. Robbins
Vote for the Democratic Ticket
To the Editor:
Not long ago, Connecticut was synonymous with budget crises and credit downgrades. Today, the state has posted consecutive budget surpluses, rebuilt its rainy day fund and earned credit rating upgrades that save taxpayers money. That turnaround didn’t happen by accident. It happened because Gov. Ned Lamont and Democratic legislators worked as a team, balancing budgets responsibly while still investing in our future.
Those investments show up in daily life: expanded child care and pre-K, strong funding for public schools, repaired roads and bridges, and ongoing efforts to make health care more affordable. The services families rely on are stronger, not weaker.
Just as important, this team has held firm on core values. They’ve protected reproductive freedom, defended voting rights, passed common-sense gun safety laws and kept Connecticut welcoming to everyone.
Strong finances and strong principles are not opposites. This slate has shown it can deliver both. I urge my neighbors to vote for the entire Democratic ticket on Nov. 3.
Maury Krasnow
Alma Sarelli Offers a Strong Local Perspective
To the Editor:
As voters consider the candidates for Connecticut’s 26th State Senate District, Alma Sarelli brings a background firmly rooted in local government and community involvement.
Alma currently serves on Westport’s Representative Town Meeting, where her committee assignments include Education, Planning and Zoning, Public Protection and Parks and Recreation. That experience has given her firsthand knowledge of how decisions made in Hartford can affect our towns, schools, taxpayers and families.
Her campaign emphasizes two issues especially important to Wilton: affordability and local control. Alma has called for fiscally responsible policies, relief from rising costs, and protection of the ability of towns to make their own decisions about zoning, housing, and development rather than having one-size-fits-all solutions imposed by Hartford.
Education is another major priority. Alma supports maintaining high academic standards and strong local schools while increasing state support for special education — helping students while reducing the financial burden placed on local school districts and taxpayers.
Perhaps most importantly, Alma emphasizes listening and finding practical solutions rather than approaching every issue along party lines.
Her experience in local government and focus on affordability, education, and local decision-making give 26th District voters a clear set of positions to consider this November.
Hella McSweeney Wilton
Return Erick Russell to State Treasurer
To the Editor:
The Treasurer manages and invests billions of dollars on behalf of state workers, retirees and taxpayers. That demands deep financial knowledge, attention to detail and determination to deliver strong returns in every economic climate. Erick Russell has all these qualities and more. Before taking office four years ago, Russell built a career as a public finance attorney working on the kind of bonds and deals the Treasurer’s office deals with every day and his track record as state treasurer these last four years has delivered consistent high returns — much higher than expected.
Russell introduced and supported programs that invest in our future — Connecticut’s Baby Bonds program is one example. Baby Bonds set aside a small nest egg for children born into families with limited means. It helps the state to ensure that every child, no matter their family income can start adulthood with a financial foundation. It’s a long term investment in our young people and in our state’s economic future. Innovative programs like this are a way to invest in the future of our young people as they navigate their own financial opportunities.
We should return Erick Russell to the Office of State Treasurer.
Pamela Ely
Sean Scanlon Shows Wilton How It’s Done
To the Editor:
The comptroller is the state’s chief accountant. He tracks where our tax dollars go and issues the reports that keep government honest. It can be the type of job that people don’t care about — unless it is not done well. Those of us in Wilton know all too well what a concern lax accounting can be. At the state level Sean Scanlon has done the job seamlessly and most of us did not notice — as it should be.
Sean Scanlon came to the job after years in the legislature, including time chairing the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, so he knows the state budget inside and out. He brings this breadth of experience to the accounting job, which makes his work all the more valuable.
I want to see Sean Scanlon returned to Hartford.
Janis Sposato
