The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Dems name picks for 63rd, 66th, 30th districts
LITCHFIELD — Three candidates received endorsements to run for seats in the state legislature this week, including a former mayor.
Democrats this week endorsed attorney Matthew Dyer of Litchfield to run against incumbent Republican state Rep. David Wilson, R-66; former New Milford
Mayor David Gronbach to run against incumbent Sen. Craig Miner, R-30; and Noel Rodriquez of Torrington to run against incumbent state Rep. Jay Case, R-63.
Attorney Audrey Blondin, a member of the Democrats’ Connecticut State Central Committee, said the new candidates signal an exciting start to campaign season for the fall election.
“The quality of the candidates that have come forward to run this year is exceptional,” Blondin said. “Matthew Dyer came forward a few months ago and expressed a desire to run, and we were just thrilled to have him. He’s an outstanding candidate. He has a great command of the issues, and there’s a clear difference between him and the incumbent Republican.”
Dyer is an attorney with the firm Furey, Donovan, Tracy & Daly in Bristol. According to the firm’s website, he earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 2002. He is a 1998 graduate of the University of Wyoming, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature. He has lived in Litchfield since 2018 and has been a practicing attorney for nearly 18 years.
He chose Litchfield as his home because of the quality of its community, he said. “One of my close friends worked in the public defender’s office in the Litchfield County Courthouse, and the more time I spent there, the more I liked the town,” Dyer said. “There’s a sense of focused community here. People were
very welcoming. We had a bag of stuff left on our doorstep by the Litchfield Area Business Association, and it wasn’t a sales pitch, it was just a welcome.”
When he joined the Democratic Town Committee, he asked members what he could do. “That’s what led to (the nomination),” Dyer said. “They said they were looking for candidates, and they heard I was interested. I thought that the skill set I have, representing individuals and small businesses, represents being a candidate. So I decided to run.”
Dyer’s goals include reevaluating the state’s health care system, something he feels even more strongly about since the pandemic. “The coronavirus should never be something that’s a binary question — do you save lives, or save money — people’s lives should be the first thing we think about, always. If that’s not working, the system need to be revamped,” he said. “The state government is in a really prime position to do some good work on health care.”
His other goals are to examine educational funding and improve it for all towns and cities in the state. “Educational funding is sporadic throughout the state,” he said. “There’s a formula for Educational Cost Sharing and that means certain places get a benefit, and others don’t. We need to look at that seriously.”
He also wants to involve all members of the communities he’d serve — Bethlehem, Woodbury, Warren, Morris and Litchfield — in any conversations about improving people’s quality of life.
“It’s about community,” he said. “People are trying to make better places to live, and we want everyone in that community to have a conversation about it. The only way things will get better is for us to talk to each other . ... How do we retain our unique character? The average age up here is about 56, then there’s another group of people over 65. Part of the process of community is handing the reins over to the next generation. So how to we provide opportunities to the 21st century, for the next generation? How do we get our kids to come back here and stay here? That’s why I’m running.”
Blondin was contacted by Rodriquez, who expressed his interest in running for the 63rd District.
“Noel is young and I think he brings tremendous energy and strength to the 63rd District,” she said. “I think he exemplifies the future of the Democratic party in the northwest corner. He’s working very hard and he has good communication skills. That’s the difference between a young candidate and a more seasoned politician . ... The younger candidates have knowledge and experience of their own. We can all learn and benefit from that.”
Gronbach, a resident of New Milford, is an owner and partner at Gronbach Law Offices LLC. He studied law at Pace University School of Law and previously served as an administrative judge/impartial hearing officer at New York State Education Department. He served as mayor in New Milford for one term.
Blondin called Gronbach “another high-quality candidate.”
“He thought about running last year, and he got an early start on his campaign in January,” she said. “He’s been working very hard to raise the money to qualify.
“Again, there’s a vast distinction between him and state Sen. Craig Miner,” Blondin said. “These newcomers have the ability to communicate effectively using new mediums, like social media, Zoom . ... They’re very connected with that. We’re very lucky to have these people, like David, who are experts at communication.”
Gronbach and his wife, Vanessa, practice law together at their firm. The couple has three schoolage children.
Gronbach said he took a break after his term as mayor, but didn’t give up on politics. “I’m a young guy, and what I think I can offer isn’t done yet,” he said. “I saw the power good government can have, and I also saw what happens when you become complacent. So when I was asked to run, it was hard to say no.”
The candidate said he wants to be an advocate for the people of the 30th District. The pandemic, he said, has created funding and other resources for communities across the state, but “there’s going to be a scramble for that support and resources,” he said
“We’ll need to be aggressive to get those resources, whatever they might be — education funding, money for economic development . ... There are underlying issues that are festering when it comes to funding,” he said.
Gronbach wants to improve economic development for the northwest corner, and said the burden on taxpayers is too much.
“Economic development is tied to so much of what we do, but we can do better,” he said. “If we have an advocate in Hartford that’s focused on that, there’s great opportunities for us in the northwest corner.
“I want to help the middle class,” he said. “At the end of the day, everyone feels squeezed. Reducing the burden on the middle class is a big priority, because the school budgets are such a burden. People are frustrated by that.”
Gronbach said the local dependency on property taxes creates a divide between parents with schoolage children and older residents who no longer have children in the school system.
“We’re at the breaking point in our communities,” he said. “The grand lists in the 30th Districts are either flat, or going down, and expenses keep going up. We can’t sustain it all on our property taxes without some kind of uniform formula. At this point, it all depends on who’s got influence in Hartford. It’s just not sustainable anymore.”
Blondin is hoping for a series of virtual debates to help voters meet and get acquainted with the new candidates. “There’s no reason why we can’t do that,” she said. “I’m very excited about the elections this year. I think it’s going to be good.”