To the Editor:

As a 30+ year resident of CT, the current state of our economy is unlike anything I’ve seen before. When I first moved to Connecticut, I was surprised by how little pride many neighbors seemed to have in our state. There was a constant sense we were in dire straits — companies were leaving, salaries were falling, unemployment was rising.

Yet, after weathering an economic crisis wrought by the pandemic, it is clear that the strong, community-focused Democratic leadership in Hartford has accomplished something I was told was never possible: reviving a vibrant, bustling, growing economy right here in CT.

It is because of the incredible economic progress we have made that I will be supporting Democrats up and down the ballot — especially Capt Tim Gavin, a veteran and specialist in online safety who is running for the 28th State Senate District.

Tim is particularly appealing as a candidate precisely because he is poised to help continue and shape the economic successes Governor Lamont has brought during his time in office. With our current unemployment rate at 4.1%, a workforce participation rate standing at 64.5% (2% above the national average), and a record number of new businesses being started, this is precisely the time to elect more Democrats so they can continue to turbocharge the CT economy.

Tim’s own experience in finding a job after finishing his active-duty military service speaks to the importance of having people in office who know first-hand the impact a tough job economy can have on everyday folks. After leaving the Army, he enrolled in a 14-week intensive coding boot camp which helped him start a career in the technology sector.

It is because of his own experience in an expedited job-training program that Tim firmly advocates for creating more apprenticeship opportunities, leveraging our tremendous community college system to train more individuals for jobs in the tech field, and improving CT’s tax policies to be even more supportive of small- and local-businesses.

Currently our state’s economy is expected to add over 200,000 jobs by 2030. We can only accomplish that goal and keep CT on the right track if we send more Democrats to Hartford to support and further Governor Lamont’s economic agenda. For us here in the 28th Senate District, that means supporting Capt Tim Gavin.

Please join me in voting for Tim Gavin on November 8.

Heather Dean

Sandy Hook