Democrat launches bid for state senate
Blanchard set to face Hwang in district representing Newtown, Bethel
FAIRFIELD — A state Capitol staffer wants to go to Hartford, this time to represent the people of Fairfield, Newtown, Bethel and Easton.
Rob Blanchard, a Democratic member of the Fairfield Representative Town Meeting, announced his candidacy for the state’s 28th Senate District, a seat long held by Republican Tony Hwang, also of Fairfield.
Hwang, who has served as that district’s senator since 2015 and was a state representative since 2009, said he plans to run for reelction.
“Throughout Connecticut and in communities like Bethel, Easton, Fairfield and Newtown, so many families, no matter how hard they work, feel like they’re falling behind and that the American Dream is slipping away,” Blanchard said in a release announcing his campaign. “But I’ve seen how electing the right people, who share our values and know how to create meaningful change, can bring that dream back within reach.”
Blanchard identified three main goals for his campaign — lower cost of living, a stronger workforce pipeline and more equitable health care — that paint an early picture of his priorities for state and local reform, if elected.
He has spent the past year as the chief of staff for Comptroller Sean Scanlon, who oversees state-level accounting and employee services. Blanchard also brings experience from the top office in the state, where he helped run Gov. Ned Lamont’s communications during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in a stint that lasted from January 2019 until July 2021, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He also played a pivotal role in First Selectman Bill Gerber’s election in November, advising the campaign that beat incumbent Republican Brenda Kupchick’s bid for a second term, taking a strong stand over how her administration handled the town’s finances.
Blanchard secured his own election in November to the Representative Town Meeting, Fairfield’s legislative arm. His involvement in Fairfield politics comes after a nearly six-year political career in Middletown, where he served on the city’s planning and zoning commission and common council, as well as headed the Democratic Town Committee.
“I know how to fight for real results,” Blanchard said. “It’s something I’ve done throughout my career in public service, and that’s what I’ll do for the 28th State Senate District.”
Hwang said his focus remains locked on continuing his support for his constituents through community-based events and helping them achieve solutions, like through legislation that assists local educators.
“I think for me, it doesn’t change one part of what we do relative to education, the environment, relative to affordability in Connecticut,” Hwang said.
Blanchard said stable taxes and municipal aid would be necessary to cut into Connecticut’s high cost of living, limit property taxes and maintain funding for education.
He said he would also work with public and private leaders to retain workers trained in Connecticut, like returning veterans, to fill a “talent gap” in the state’s workforce. Blanchard said these labor shortages can impact local farms, which he plans to support with new customers and ways to diversify their economic output.
When it comes to health care, Blanchard said he will push for wider access to reproductive care and preventative health services and tackle “systemic disparities” in the industry. He said he would also work to maintain gun safety in Connecticut and advocate for violence intervention grants to protect local communities.
Hwang has managed to survive as one of the dozen Republicans left in the Democrat-dominated 36-member Senate, but the voter demographics of his constituency are not what they were 15 years ago. In Fairfield, the largest pocket of voters in the Senate district, Democrats have their largest majority in recent history, boosted in part by voter realignment and growing diversity along the state’s shoreline — momentum Blanchard hopes to ride into the November election.
“I have a plan to bring new ideas and a fresh perspective to our state government,” Blanchard said. “In the coming weeks and months, I’m excited to share that vision with voters and meet them at their door — just as I have always done — and hear what’s most important to them. I’m excited to get started.”