Newtown approaches Election Day this year with a perspective on federal and state government it did not have two years ago. Hartford and Washington, DC, do not seem quite so removed from our community life this time around; our elected representatives both in Congress and the legislature have had many opportunities to come through for Newtown, and for the most part they have done so, often expending significant political capital to secure grants and to enact legislation that directly benefited this community as it worked to recover from the tragic events of 12/14. The performance of these elected officials in the crucible of tragedy has informed our choices in the 2014 election more than the pro forma campaign promises and rhetoric.

For Governor

In the rematch of the closely contested gubernatorial race of four years ago between Democrat Dannel P. Malloy and Republican Thomas Foley, we once again back the election of Mr Malloy. While he has raised taxes, as Mr Foley never tires of pointing out, he did it as part of a budget package that also included union concessions, spending cuts, and state agency consolidations designed to address the $3.7 billion deficit he inherited — the worst in state history. The state budget has been stabilized without eroding support for schools and municipalities.

The governor also acted quickly in the wake of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting to enact tougher and sensible gun laws that still respect the Second Amendment rights of Connecticut’s citizens. And he quickly marshaled state support to cover the costs of constructing a new school in Sandy Hook. But it was his unhesitating decision to stand with and for the parents of Sandy Hook School in the worst hours of their lives at the Sandy Hook firehouse that revealed his character and leadership and secured our lasting gratitude and our support in this year’s election.

In The Fifth District

Our support for Democratic Representative Elizabeth Esty’s reelection in the Fifth Congressional District evolved over the course of her first term and has very little to do with the campaign skirmishes she has been having with her challenger, Republican Mark Greenberg, on social security, or the Affordable Care Act, or the size of government. We want her to continue as our representative in Congress largely for her laser-like attention to constituent service and notably her service in the cause of Newtown’s special needs in the wake of 12/14.

Working with Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, Rep Esty has helped the community secure millions of dollars in federal grants for services for students and staff at Sandy Hook School affected by the 12/14 shooting, to better equip Newtown’s first responders, for school safety measures, and for mental health counseling in Newtown. She responded swiftly and surely to the enormous challenges faced by this community in the past two years. We hope the community responds to that service by supporting her reelection.

State Lawmakers

Two state representatives from Fairfield, Republican Tony Hwang and Democrat Kim Fawcett, are running to fill the seat of departing State Senator John McKinney in the 28th District. We can think of few candidates for this office who have expended more time, effort, and energy trying to get to know the Newtown community than Tony Hwang. He has been everywhere, from the flag-waving Fourth of July celebration at the Children’s Adventure Center (where most in attendance will not be eligible to vote until the late 2020s) and the early morning breakfast crowd at the General Store to the solemn 9/11 ceremonies at Howard Lasher’s flag-trees in Dodgingtown. And we have noticed that he shows up not so much to speak, as he is sometimes asked to do, but to listen — something that Newtown voters tend to reward. His support for small businesses, his conservative approach to spending and taxes, and his willingness to look for solutions not at the margins of political discourse but in the middle will make him an ideal state senator for Newtown.

Republican Mitch Bolinsky gets our nod for a second term in the legislature representing the 106th District. His role as Newtown’s representative thrust him into prominence in his first legislative session, as lawmakers in Hartford focused on a range of legislation that grew out of the 12/14 tragedy. For a freshman legislator, he acquitted himself well, gave Newtown a ever-present voice in important deliberations, and did so quietly and effectively. He has also secured a seat at the table on the legislature’s important Appropriations, Education, and Environment Committees — quite an accomplishment for a first-term legislator. In backing Mr Bolinsky, however, we do not lightly dismiss the candidacy of Democrat Matt Cole, a newcomer to the political process. His sincerity and commitment to Newtown impressed us very much, and we hope that if he is not successful in his current bid for office that we will see him on the ballot in future municipal or state elections.

The race in the 112th Assembly District is between two Monroe residents, seeking to fill the vacancy left by DebraLee Hovey’s decision to leave office. Republican J.P. Sredzinski and Democrat Jen Aguilar are largely unknown to Newtown residents. Of the two candidate forums conducted in town this month, previous commitments and unforeseen circumstances kept Ms Aguilar from participating. Mr Sredzinski did participate in The Bee’s forum on October 21. Our recommendation for Mr Sredzinski’s election is based on his years of service on the Monroe Town Council, most recently as chairman, making him familiar with the needs of municipalities and the essential role the state plays in stabilizing local property taxes.

In the Second District race, we cannot endorse the reelection of incumbent Republican Dan Carter, who in this campaign has overtly maligned so many Newtown constituents in his comments about gun legislation. Having opposed the gun law that grew out of the 12/14 shooting in Sandy Hook, he has in recent weeks made clear his distaste for the way in which the Newtown community has responded to gun violence in one of its own elementary schools. At The Bee’s October 21 Candidates Forum, he said in the debate over gun violence and gun legislation, “I saw a level of political correctness in Newtown that was really bad, because there were people who felt they were hurting and they also wanted to talk about their Second Amendment rights and nobody could talk about it honestly.” In addition to the dishonesty he detected in Newtown, he has since likened the Newtown Action Alliance to the NRA in social media, saying the local group is against “reasonable solutions” and therefore “accountable for gun deaths” along with the NRA and the organization Connecticut Against Gun Violence. This kind of offhand provocation cannot be redeemed by blaming the shorthand of social media. The incumbent’s opponent, Democrat Candace Fay, would better represent the people and the interests of Newtown in Hartford on this touchstone issue.