To The Editor:

I’m one of the strange people that actually pay attention to local politics. I first noticed Amybeth Laroche around April. I was surprised to see a candidate already campaigning before election season really kicked into gear. Most of the time you don’t even hear the candidates’ names till at least August. By April she was already out at events around the district and even created her own event, which I had never seen done before. She went around to different playgrounds in the district to meet parents where she knew they’d be, so they could talk to her about their most pressing concerns. I thought that was really clever. Somehow she’s kept up that high energy all summer and into the fall. I’ve been very impressed by her dedication.

I didn’t see Rob Blanchard’s face until September, when those massive billboards started going up on Main Street. Before that I had no idea who he was. I never ran into him at a park or a local event. He showed up when the billboards did. I hear he does a lot of door knocking, but who answers their door to strangers anymore? He can’t hit every door, and he certainly hasn’t been to mine!

Four towns is a lot of ground to cover. They don’t have the same problems, and you can’t learn them from a billboard or a closed door. It takes meeting people where they are, over and over, and Amybeth has been doing that since spring. Rob has only made himself available to taxpayers for about six weeks. Amybeth has been listening for months!

Everybody I know is feeling the squeeze of higher taxes and higher bills. I’d like a State Senator who’s already heard what people in all four towns are dealing with. Amybeth has, and not just during election season. She’s a local mom, who’s taken real time to sincerely listen and learn from other parents what matters most to them. That’s why she has my vote.

Amybeth is the true local, and the far better choice! Please join me to help make her our next State Senator.

Antonio Formica

Sandy Hook