Newcomer Volpe takes on Devlin in 134th
The race to represent the 134th District in the state House of Representatives is a study in contrasts. Laura Devlin, the three-term incumbent Republican from Fairfield, is facing a challenge from Carla Volpe, a Trumbull teacher and relative political newcomer.
Both women received the unanimous endorsement of their parties. The district lies mostly in Fairfield but does include about 30 percent of Trumbull.
Both also said the priority in the next General Assembly session would be recovering from the COVID-19
pandemic.
“I hope that we take this moment as a mandate to work together collaboratively to rebuild our state and to return to a more normal life,” said Devlin. “Now more than ever, we need leadership that is grounded in transparency, compassion and collaboration.”
Volpe echoed those sentiments, saying that Connecticut was “beautiful and underappreciated” and that the state “deserves representatives that will sow the seeds of a vibrant renewal with active leadership and a clear vision for the future.”
First elected in 2014, Devlin serves on the Transportation Committee, Education Committee and Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee. She also has been part of the legislature’s Women’s Caucus, Fire and EMS Caucus and Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities Caucus.
While the state has been in a partial shutdown because of the global health crisis, Devlin has hosted bi-weekly town hall webinars with other Fairfield legislators to offer guidance on the state’s response to the coronavirus. She also co-founded a weekly food drive in Trumbull with Trumbull EMS that directly benefits the Trumbull Food Pantry and she has been volunteering at food drives that benefit Operation Hope in Fairfield and the Bridgeport Rescue Mission.
Volpe, a Trumbull resident who grew up in an immigrant household in Fairfield, is a former teacher in the Trumbull schools. She currently teaches art at Derby High School. She is a member of the Trumbull Arts Council.