State treasurer candidate ‘a fierce advocate’

To the editor:

In the Tuesday, Aug. 9 primary election, Democratic voters have an important choice to make: who they want to represent the Democratic ticket for state treasurer in the November general election. I’m casting my vote for Dita Bhargava, the most qualified, committed and visionary of the three choices on the ballot.

Above all, I want a candidate with the proven experience to prudently manage the state’s pension assets, cash flow, shortterm investments and debt financing. Dita is intimately familiar with financial markets, having spent 25 years as a trader and portfolio manager at leading global investment firms.

Dita’s resume demonstrates a strong commitment to public service, working on civic initiatives to promote gender equality, empowering underserved communities, promoting cultural awareness and addressing the public health crisis of opioid addiction. When Dita sees that more can be done, she takes charge, as she did in co-founding the Parity Partnership of Connecticut, dedicated to educating the public about gender inequality.

Dita is a fierce advocate for social and economic justice, and public health; using her voice to hold big pharma accountable for its role in the opioid epidemic, and most recently not backing down when Hulu refused to air her campaign ad about threats to abortion access (they relented).

What I admire most about Dita is her creative ideas for using the Office of the State Treasurer to advance corporate social responsibility, without straying from its essential mission. Money talks, and there’s no reason Connecticut shouldn’t use its influence to capture investments that help our state prosper economically, and push companies to embraces policies that address climate change, protect the rights of employees and enhance public safety — all areas where Dita has proposed strategies that will achieve more than just strong investment performance.

Dita has the commitment, expertise, energy and vision to competently manage Connecticut’s fiscal house while also using the power of the state’s investment portfolio to make positive social and economic impacts. If you’re a registered Democrat, Dita Bhargava deserves your vote on Aug. 9 to be our candidate for state treasurer.

Jonathan Perloe Cos Cob