Cinzia Lettieri is running for State Representative in the 35th District, and I had a unique opportunity to get to know her. I’ve driven her to more than 1,100 homes in Killingworth to speak with voters. I’ve seen how much most voters—even non-Democrats—appreciate her coming out to talk with them. Quite a few have said that no candidate has come to talk with them before.

Listening to Cinzia, I’ve seen how informed she is on a myriad of subjects and how concerned she is for the welfare of others. A few times, she returned to the car almost in tears after hearing the story of what a voter is enduring. I’ve watched her take notes to get back to a voter with needed information or to remind herself to learn more about a particular issue.

Cinzia is especially focused on ensuring that women have access to necessary healthcare, that education provides all students a path to a livelihood that pays the bills, and that our towns get the funding we need to update our infrastructure. I’ve seen firsthand the energy she will bring to fighting for those funds.

Cinzia is a teacher (currently teaching 5th-grade science in Hamden) with 15 years of experience in education policy. She is raising her 3-year-old daughter with her husband in Clinton, where she grew up. She currently serves on the Clinton Planning and Zoning and Water Pollution Control commissions.

At the debate on Oct. 7, I saw Cinzia propose approaches to solving specific problems and commit to fighting for solutions. Examples include streamlining rules and permitting for local businesses and collaborating with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to find business-friendly solutions to our most pressing environmental problems.

Please join me in voting for Cinzia Lettieri by Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Casey Jacob

Killingworth