DeLauro earns nod in Third District

The race for Connecticut’s Third Congressional District has some unusual energy this year. A well-funded challenger has longtime Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who can in many years coast to reelection, spending more time and effort getting her message out to voters, fending off attacks and making her case that she deserves another two years in Congress.

This is a welcome development. Races for such an important position should never be an afterthought, and incumbents should have to work hard to prove their worth to voters every time. It benefits all voters in the district to see a robust debate.

That hasn’t been quite what Third District voters have seen. Republican Margaret Streicker has spent a lot of money on advertising and has been highly visible, but she hasn’t articulated a clear rationale for why she’d be a better choice to serve in Congress. Instead, it’s been mostly poorly articulated attacks on DeLauro and generalities about policy. DeLauro remains the clear choice for another two-year term.

The New Haven native continues to prioritize issues of importance to working families. She is a proponent of a higher minimum wage, paid family and medical leave, and equal pay. She has also taken the lead on issues like food and product safety, which may be less visible to voters but are no less important. She has fought for more education funding and improved health care.

One local controversy that has led to attacks on DeLauro’s judgment was the removal this year of the longstanding Christopher Columbus statue in New Haven’s Wooster Square, which the congresswoman supported while also rejecting calls to rename Columbus Day. Streicker called that “a classic DC flipflop,” but it could just as easily be seen as an understanding that times change and that what was acceptable in years past may not be the same now. DeLauro deserves credit for understanding that the city where she has deep roots is not the same as it once was.

Green Party candidate Dr. Justin Paglino is also on the ballot, and while he supports some commonsense reforms like ranked-choice voting, DeLauro remains the better choice for the Third District, both for her expertise in important issues and the stature she holds after serving for so many years. She is in a position to be an influential member of the House in coming years in ways that will benefit her district.

The Third District is centered in New Haven, but like all Connecticut is a microcosm of America. There are urban neighborhoods and rural communities, suburbs and exurbs, wealth and poverty. Manufacturing, including at Stratford’s Sikorsky Aircraft, remains key to the local economy, even as 21st-century industries are looking to New Haven as they attract younger workers to the region.

It’s a district with many needs, but one that continues to be well-served by its longtime representative. Though her opponents have injected some much-needed energy into the race, DeLauro remains the best choice, and earns Hearst Connecticut Media’s endorsement for another twoyear term in Congress.

The New Haven native continues to prioritize issues of importance to working families. She is a proponent of a higher minimum wage, paid family and medical leave, and equal pay.