State Senate 26th District
Name: Will Haskell Party: Democrat Race: 26th state Senate District
As a 22- year- old candidate, Will Haskell defeated longtime incumbent Toni Boucher in 2018 to become the youngest member of the General Assembly, representing the 26th state Senate district. Despite his age, the Georgetown University graduate was not a political newcomer, having worked on numerous campaigns including those of U. S. Sen. Chris Murphy and U. S. Representative Jim Himes, both Democrats.
While in office, Haskell has worked to improve transportation and to encourage students to remain in Connecticut after college. In 2019 he co- sponsored three bills to curb gun deaths, including a ban on ghost guns and new regulations for the safe storage of firearms. Most recently, he voted to expand access to absentee ballots during the COVID- 19 pandemic and cap out- of- pocket costs for insulin. He also voted for the police accountability act.
Before Haskell was elected, the 26th district was in Republican hands from 1973 until he took office in January 2019. He is being challenged by Kim Healy, a Republican from Wilton. The 26th district encompasses Redding, Ridgefield, Wilton and portions of Bethel, New Canaan, Weston, and Westport. Name: Kim Healy Party: Republican Race: 26th state Senate District
Kim Healy is a political newcomer and has set her sights on representing the 26th district in the state Senate. She describes herself as “a wife, a mother, a former auditor, and an engaged, proud member of the Wilton community.”
She has been treasurer of many organizations since leaving her professional career and is currently on the board of the Wilton Library Association as treasurer. She is also a volunteer tax preparer for retired and low- income individuals. .
Healy was endorsed at the Republican convention earlier this year and won a primary in August. If elected, her priorities are: local planning and zoning control, the state’s pension liabilities and reinvigorating the business community.
Healy has also been endorsed by the Independent Party of Connecticut and as such, her name will appear on both the Republican and Independent party ballot lines in the Nov. 3 election. Healy is hoping to unseat freshman incumbent Will Haskell, a Democrat from Westport, who upset longtime Republican state Sen. Toni Boucher of Wilton in 2018. The 26th district encompasses Redding, Ridgefield, Wilton and portions of Bethel, New Canaan, Weston, and Westport.