New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Abortion rights at forefront of Dem primary for 116th House seat
WEST HAVEN — Joe Miller would know West Haven — he grew up here.
Miller, 24, said he decided to run for statewide office because residents’ needs, especially those with the greatest needs, are not being represented.
Miller has filed paperwork to run for the 116th District in the state House of Representatives, a district contained entirely within West Haven city limits after a few blocks of New Haven were eliminated in the most recent round of redistricting.
The seat has been one of the state’s most newsworthy seats because its prior occupant, former Democratic Rep. Michael DiMassa, was arrested for an alleged wire fraud scheme related to West Haven’s allocation of federal pandemic relief funding. Former District 7 councilwoman Treneé
McGee, a Democrat, won the seat in a special election against Republican candidate Richard DePalma 550 to 455.
In the first few months of her term as a state lawmaker, McGee has drawn the most attention for her stance on abortion rights. Last month, a few weeks before a leaked U.S. Supreme Court decision indicated the court intends to strike down the Roe v.
Wade decision that has been used to uphold abortion as a federal right, McGee spoke out against a state bill to expand legal protections for abortion providers in Connecticut. McGee, the youngest Black female member of the General Assembly, expressed concerns about the impact abortion has on young Black girls, in particular that a 12-year-old could use abortion “as a birth control method” and not inform her parents.
It’s an area where Miller differs, saying he does not believe it reflects the views or values of West Haven residents.
“I think its fair to say she had led a charge or a crusade within the General Assembly against reproductive rights, against the most recent bill with protections and demonized Planned Parenthood and invoked eugenics,” he said. “I think her priorities with that were wrong and misguided. I am a full supporter of women’s rights and reproductive rights. I look at it as not only a rights issue, but also a health care issue. We’re not in a position in this country, clearly in the pandemic we’re going through, that we can weaken in any sector our health care system.”
McGee declined to answer questions about reproductive rights and other legislative priorities mentioned by Miller, saying in a statement that her “main focus is to remain dedicated to strengthening my relationships with my district.” On Tuesday, McGee received the West Haven Democratic Town Committee’s endorsement in the primary race.
Earlier that day, Democratic State Chairwoman Nancy DiNardo and other Democratic women seeking statewide office sent the message in a press event that reproductive rights are at stake in the 2022 election and that Democrats would fight to protect those rights. DiNardo did not return a request for comment Wednesday as to whether Democrats should be united on the issue of abortion.
Beyond a stated commitment to preserve rights granting bodily autonomy, Miller also believes the seat can be better used to represent the residents of West Haven who are barely getting by — residents like himself.
“Growing up, our family didn’t have that much money. We weren’t well off by any means, but we learned to make do with what we had,” he said.
Miller was pursuing a college degree, the first in his family to do so, when he temporarily had to step away for financial reasons after his father’s death, he said, although “it’s an ongoing effort.”
“Growing up in that environment, experiencing food and housing insecurity throughout my whole childhood, it instilled in me the meaning of hard work and resilience. It established the value of treating others with dignity and respect,” he said. “I want to give back to the community and aid the community, those fine people who are just trying to keep their head above water and trying to keep their house afloat, we need to support those people.”
Miller’s day job is as an IT professional in the supply chain sector, he said, so he is familiar with the issues of supply and demand and their role in inflation. He said he supports Gov. Ned Lamont’s gas tax holiday as a “great thing” that was to the immediate benefit of residents.
One of Miller’s top legislative priorities would be to increase funding for job training programs so lowincome residents can obtain higher-paying jobs. He also said he believes more can be done to maintain West Haven’s roads and infrastructure, as residents in the coastal city often worry about pockmarked roads.
He also said he believes there is a need to restore trust in the community with local government following the DiMassa scandal. At the time of DiMassa’s alleged fraud, McGee sat on the City Council.
“She was one of 13 people who had many concerns brought to them and all it led to was further and further inaction,” he said.
Miller said he hopes that winning the seat would represent a stride toward a fresh start in the city.