Julie Kerton is the Democratic candidate for state representative for the 107th District, which covers Brookfield and parts of Bethel and Newtown.

Kerton is a mother of two and has been a Brookfield resident for 35 years, where her children attended Brookfield Public Schools. Both her children work in the education field; one is a high school math teacher, while the other works in the dean’s office at Rutgers University.

Kerton herself grew up in Westchester County, New York, living in New Rochelle as a young child. She went through and graduated from Catholic school, growing close to a group of friends that she still keeps in touch with to this day.

Her father worked for Union Carbide, and when the company bought its Danbury campus, she would often travel to visit her parents. Kerton and her family fell in love with the area and moved to Brookfield, with her adding that she now “can’t imagine living anywhere else.”

Kerton said she has held an “array” of jobs over the years. She currently works as a realtor and is the chairperson of the Brookfield Board of Assessment Appeals, which she has served on for the past decade.

Previously, Kerton managed The Lord’s Pantry, a nonprofit which provided food to individuals with HIV and AIDS, along with their families. It started around the onset of AIDS in the 1980s, which Kerton called a very difficult time as those with the illness faced a lot of stigmatization but deeply needed food.

Kerton, in her management role, wrote grants and oversaw donor contributions, private and corporate funding, and trust endowments. While The Lord’s Pantry has since closed, Kerton has never forgotten the impact of their work and just how much it meant to people.

“We stayed longer because there was such a need for food insecurity, and a lot of these people … there were different ways they dealt with the disease. Some people could function, but other people really couldn’t and needed a lot of support, and their children did as well,” Kerton said.

Beyond that, Kerton has worked as a behavior therapist throughout Fairfield County, specifically working with children with autism. Most recently, Kerton has been in Newtown working in the special education department.

Kerton does this, she said, because one of her children had special needs. As such, she had a flexible schedule and was “very in tune” to her kid’s needs so she could support them to the best of her ability.

All her work throughout the years, Kerton said, has fostered a passion for helping and listening to others, weighing evidence, and taking action to solve problems.

When her Democratic Town Committee Chair encouraged her to run as a state representative, Kerton said she has been so tired of what has been going on in the United States over the last ten years that she wanted to do something to make a difference.

“I’m really stepping out of my comfort zone, but the opportunity came about and I thought, ‘I could fail, but I could really succeed,’ so I want to do just that,” Kerton said.

Kerton believes that state legislature is a barrier to the federal government, and that cuts are being made to important programs supporting education, food security, and healthcare.

Should she be elected to office, Kerton wants to make life more affordable by putting some of the onus on the state, so burdens are not just left up to the taxpayer.

Kerton called affordability a core issue, not just to her or her potential constituents, but to all Connecticut residents. She said that the high cost of living is driving young people away from the state, adding that the average age for a first-time home-buyer is around 40.

“We need to look into how we can keep young people in our towns,” Kerton said. “I bought my first home at 25, but it was so different then. You could get a hedge, you could save, but now I see a real grip on our young people,” Kerton said.

On that note, Kerton said seniors are no longer able to downsize because they have no affordable options.

An example of this, she said, is herself.

“I have a house that I really have to stay in because I have a lower mortgage rate, and also, if I wanted to go to a condominium and downsize, I can’t afford it,” Kerton said. “And that makes my house, which would be semi-affordable for a young family, unavailable.”

Kerton said she does not want to come across as though she has all the answers and will magically solve every issue right away. However, Kerton said she knows what needs to be focused on and wants to communicate with and listen to as many people as possible to address the issues negatively impacting them.

“I want to go into it without glossing over the position we’re in today,” Kerton said. “Student loans, for instance, the cuts to the Department of Education … These are the areas that I would like to secure for Connecticut residents, because the federal government is certainly not securing those.”

Another focus point for Kerton is education, particularly special education. She said she wants to protect funding for public schools, community colleges, and state universities. Kerton also wants to expand healthcare access and affordability, in addition to protecting Medicaid and Medicare. Kerton noted that she is pro-choice and pro-healthcare for women. Beyond that, Kerton said she is open to any reasonable legislation that comes forward.

“Anything along the line that would encourage people to stay, to lessen the income disparity for Connecticut residents and alleviate that pressure on them,” Kerton said.

Kerton added that she would listen to the concerns of all of her constituents.

“I would represent everybody,” Kerton said. “All of this divisiveness … I’m really hopeful that it will be a thing of the past.”

Regardless, Kerton said she hopes to overcome that divisiveness and work together in order for everyone to lead a nice life.

“Life should be easier than just trying to get by,” Kerton said.

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Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.