Stowe’s diplomacy, background give her edge
Election Day may just help the 149th state House district define its own identity. Republican Livvy Floren has represented the district, which spans backcountry Greenwich and part of North Stamford, for two decades. These are affluent pockets of the communities that traditionally skew Republican, but the popular Floren was rarely tested on the ballot before she decided not to seek reelection.
Floren’s potential successors cite her as a model, and both exhibit some of her qualities. But Republican Kimberly Fiorello and Democrat Kathleen Stowe would each put their own unique brand on the district.
These are refined, nuanced candidates. Stowe, and others, have noted that she may actually hew closer to Floren in political identity as a fiscal conservative who works across the aisle. Fiorello would undoubtedly be more aligned with Floren’s voting record, and is more conservative than her opponent when it comes to saving money for the state.
Stowe’s reputation as a consensus-builder has been recognized through her work as vice chair of the Greenwich Board of Education. She has shared bylines on our pages with board chair Peter Bernstein, a Republican, and the duo worked relentlessly throughout the summer of COVID to get students back to classrooms.
“I am a fiscally conservative candidate who believes in gun safety, a woman’s right to reproductive choice and racial justice,” Stowe wrote in an op-ed this week, clarifying her identity as traditional Connecticut Democrat when it comes to social issues.
Fiorello, meanwhile, checks the expected Republican boxes on such issues. She takes a strong position against an affordable housing initiative, reasoning it threatens “open living spaces in cozy bucolic towns,” a matter specific to this district. And she won the endorsement of police unions through her opposition to the Police Accountability Act.
She is not vague on such conservative positions, an attribute we appreciate.
“I had my liberal youth then grew up and saw the world,” she told us.
As a result, she quickly became a strong voice as a a member of Greenwich’s Representative Town Meeting. She points to achieving financial security through “small cuts,” and notes the perils of similar, seemingly insignificant penalties that can drive away small businesses.
Fiorello can be uncompromising, a luxury not afforded in a General Assembly dominated by the opposite number. But Democrats in Hartford are served well when they tune into voices like hers, a reminder there is seldom a consensus in a political environment where the so-called “middle” has been starved.
A native of South Korea with a Harvard degree, Fiorello’s work as a journalist in Hong Kong for the Wall Street Journal also honed research and writing skills that benefit varied duties in Hartford.
Stowe would be less likely to jeopardize funding for social service agencies that have never been more vital. She has worked in investment banking and private equity, and currently partners with her father in a financial technology firm. Such financial experience, combined with experience representing the interests of students, would make her a valuable representative.
Stowe and Fiorello offer voters distinct ideologies. The 149th has not been represented by a Democrat in more than a century, thus Tuesday’s measure of the district’s identity.
We are intrigued by Fiorello’s potential to challenge the establishment in Hartford, but favor Stowe’s proven knack for building consensus as well as her leanings on social issues. Kathleen Stowe has our endorsement.