When I think of Westport, I think about late night milkshakes at the Sherwood Diner. I think about kayaking along the Saugatuck and rewarding myself with Carvel after grocery shopping at Stiles. I think about the hum of students at Barnes and Noble’s on a Sunday night and the quiet of Compo Beach at sunset. I love Westport, and I feel so lucky to have grown up here. That’s why I decided to run for the Connecticut State Senate. Like so many others, I woke up the morning after Donald Trump’s election with a desire to protect my hometown from what’s happening both in Washington and Hartford.
My WestportMom is the hardest working person I know. As a single mom, she worked tirelessly to have a career all the while providing me with an amazing childhood filled with family and community. My mom is a force to be reckoned with — but she couldn’t have done it alone. She could rest easy knowing that she put me on the bus every morning to an amazing public school. But not all moms, even in Connecticut, have that same luxury. Drive less than a half hour away from Staples High School and you’ll find failing public schools and struggling students. I’m running to change that. My mom had to go back to work soon after I was born so she could support our family. I know that’s not right and I support paid family leave in Connecticut, because no one should have to choose between their family and career. I grew up watching my mom thrive in her career in law, working long hours and doing everything she could for her clients. I know there’s no reason she should be making less than a male counterpart, which makes Equal Pay for Equal Work an especially important issue for me. Overall, my mother has set an amazing example for me, and her trials and triumphs as a single working Mom in inform my agenda and spur me on to fight for amazing women and their children.
