Connecticut Sen. Will Haskell will not seek third term
State Sen. Will Haskell announced on Monday that he will not seek reelection to a third term this fall as he takes “an intermission” in public service to start law school.
The 25-year-old Westport Democrat, who is co-chairman of the legislative Transportation Committee, said he has numerous items on his agenda for the upcoming legislative session, including the prioritization of investments to update the state’s transit infrastructure.
“There are a lot of exciting things going on, but it feels like the right time in my life to take an intermission,” said Haskell, who graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Georgetown University and will continue working through the summer in U.S. Rep. Jim Himes’ constituent-outreach office. “When I first ran, it was because I thought it was time for a change.”
He said the lingering COVID pandemic is still a major obstacle, but once the state emerges, he is hoping to become “laser-focused” on transportation-related issues, including green investments. Haskell prides himself on being available to district residents.
“If you pick up the phone and you call your state senator, you're going to get my cellphone,” he said. “If you have a great idea, I am going to ask for your help in making sure that idea becomes law.”
He recalled a Wilton High School student who was concerned about the mental health and wellness of classmates, but disappointed that under Connecticut state law, young people were only entitled to a handful of confidential treatment sessions, and there were requirements to inform parents.
Haskell admitted that he had been unaware of the law.
“And now in the state of Connecticut, thanks to his hard work, young people are entitled to an unlimited number of confidential sessions if it's decided by the provider and the professional they did treatment
with that confidentiality would be in their best interest,” Haskell said.
Haskell is also the author of the newly published book “100,000 First Bosses: My Unlikely Path as a 22Year-Old Lawmaker: One of America’s Youngest State Senators.” Each of the 36 state Senate districts has a population of about 100,000.
“The last four years have made me very happy,” he said. “I’m really grateful to the people who took a chance with me. I really tried to do more listening than talking in this job.”
Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said he believes Haskell has had more impact in four years than many long-term lawmakers can point to in much-longer careers.
“Will leaving the Senate is personally devastating because I like him so much and he has accomplished a lot in such a short time,” said Duff, whose 25th Senate district abuts Haskell’s 26th district, which includes Bethel, New Canaan, Redding, Ridgefield, Weston, Wilton and Westport. “I am happy he is going to law school and engaged to be married as he takes the next steps in his life. This has to be celebrated as well. He has been effective in getting his priorities through. He is a skilled, gifted and natural legislator.” Following the January 2021 resignation of Sen. Carlo Leone, D-Stamford, from the legislature when he took a job with the Lamont administration, Haskell left the co-chairmanship of the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee and was named Senate chairman of the joint Transportation Committee.
Haskell is also vice chairman of the Government Administration & Elections Committee and serves on the Energy & Technology Committee, the Environment Committee, the Judiciary Committee and the Public Health Committee, and remains on the Higher Education Committee.
While it is too early to speculate on potential candidates to replace Haskell, who defeated incumbent Sen. Toni Boucher, a Wilton Republican in 2018 by 28,159 votes to 24,574, the district itself will change drastically in the recent reapportionment, which due to the loss of population in eastern Connecticut, a House seat was shifted to Wilton.
Bethel is not included in the new 26th District, which will include Westport, Redding, about half of Ridgefield, part of northern Darien, part of southern New Canaan, and the Springdale and Belltown neighborhoods of Stamford.