With Labor Day behind us, it is time to start getting informed and prepared to go to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Here are brief biographies of the candidates who are running to represent New Canaan in the Connecticut General Assembly. Each position is a two-year term.
26th District State Senate
The eastern third of New Canaan; all of Westport, Wilton, Ridgefield and Redding; southeastern Bethel, and the western half of Weston.
Carolanne Curry
Democrat
Carolanne Curry is seeking election to the state senate for the 26th district on the Democrat’s slate. She has had a bird’s-eye view of the workings of the state senate as the administrative assistant to the Senate Democrat Majority Office. She has also served as director of welfare in both Bridgeport and New Haven.
Her work in the private sector has included founder and president of Blue Hills Insurance and as a partner and vice president of Income Protectors, Inc., an insurance broker.
She is a Westport Planning and Zoning alternate. She worked on a task force on Universal Childcare Access that defines daycare standards. She is a founding board member of Career Resources in Bridgeport and a member of Greater New Haven Leadership.
In 2012, she ran against incumbent Toni Boucher, and lost.
Ms. Curry lives in Westport.
Toni Boucher
Incumbent, Republican
State Senator Toni Boucher has represented New Canaan in the 26th state senatorial district since 2008, and now serves as chief deputy minority leader. Prior to the senate, she was a state representative for 12 years and served on the Appropriations Committee. Now she is ranking member of general assembly’s Transportation Committee and sits on the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee.
She was founder and former owner of a small business and held corporate management posts for two Fortune 50 firms.
Sen. Boucher is ranking member of the Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, tapping on her experience as a language teacher, a member of the Board of Education in Wilton and state Board of Education.
She has worked in community affairs as Wilton Board of Selectman and as advisory board member of the New Canaan Nature Center and New Canaan Cares.
She has an MBA degree from UCONN business school.
She was born in Italy and she now lives in Wilton.
36th District State Senate
The western two thirds of New Canaan, northern Stamford and Greenwich
- Scott Frantz
Incumbent, Republican
State Senator L. Scott Frantz is seeking his fourth term in the general assembly for the 36th district as a republican. He serves as deputy minority leader of the Senate Republican Caucus and ranking member of both the general assembly’s Finance Committee and the Commerce Committee. He also serves on the transportation and legislative management committees.
He championed a number of policy changes and is most proud of Emily’s Law, named after a girl who lost her life tubing behind a boat driven by a friend. The law increases towing age to 16.
Sen. Frantz served as chairman of the Connecticut Development Authority, chairman of the board of directors for the Bradley International Airport and chairman of the Connecticut Brownfields Redevelopment Authority.
He helps several non-profit organizations such as Corporate Angel Network, Connecticut Republican Finance Committee and Veteran’s Appreciation Council.
He lives in Greenwich.
John Blankley
Democrat
John Blankley is running for state senate as a Democrat for the 36th district. In 2013, he was elected to the Greenwich’s Board of Estimate Taxation, which issues the town budget. Prior to that he served on the Representative Town Meeting. He has also served on the executive committee of the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee.
His business experience includes being an executive in shipping, oil, gas, minerals and technology. Presently, he is the co-founder and ceo of Flagship Networks, Inc., a Greenwich-based computer consulting and systems integration company. He worked as an executive for BP of North America and for Stolt Tankers and Terminals.
He sits on the Board of Managers for St. Andrew’s Society of the State of New York.
Mr. Blankley was born and raised in England. He now Lives in Greenwich.
Ed Heflin
Green Party
Ed Heflin is seeking a state senate seat for 36th district for the Green Party.
He has worked as a Wall Street consultant, entrepreneur and academic. He wants to bring his 15 years of Wall Street experience to Main Street. He plans “to bring green” to Hartford and “prosperity back to Connecticut through healthy local economics, new jobs and new revenue for local infrastructure and public priorities” via a public banking platform, according to his website.
He distinguishes himself on his website by featuring a chart instead of the usual list of specific accomplishments. The chart compares the current banking system to the “State Banking System” that he proposes.
He is the coordinator for Public Banking in Connecticut.
He holds six university degrees including MBA, an MS in computational finance, and a PHD in physics.
Mr. Heflin lives in Greenwich.
Assembly 125th District
The central and western half of New Canaan and reaches into Wilton
Tom O’Dea
Incumbent, Republican
State Representative Tom O’Dea is seeking a third term as a Republican representative for the 125th district. He is a ranking member on the Transportation Committee and a member of the judiciary and regulation review committees. He has served in a number of governor appointed positions including sitting on the Police Officers Standards and Training Council and the Judicial Selection Commission and the Victim Compensation Commission. He has been a member of the New Canaan Town Council.
He works as an attorney for Diserio, Martin, O’Connor & Castiglioni, LLP, where he litigates on transportation, trucking and defense claims for catastrophic injuries. He also represents developers and financial firms in real estate transactions.
Rep. O’Dea graduated from Columbus School of Law at the Catholic University of America and attended school in Switzerland where he was taught in French.
He lives in New Canaan.
Hector Lopez
Green Party
Hector Lopez is running on the Green Party for State Assembly for the 125th district. He is presently serving in New Canaan as a constable, an elected post similar to state marshal, who serves legal papers to people named in a lawsuit. He was elected constable in 2005, 2007 and 2009.
He is a justice of the peace. He has been an entrepreneur and set up a number of small businesses.
He served on several local initiatives to protect open space, oppose Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant and stop global warming. Mr. Lopez is a U.S. Army veteran and participates in anti-war movements.
He believes in “respect for the sovereignty of nations” which includes his birth country of Puerto Rico. He volunteered in New Canaan High School and the Saxe Middle School libraries.
Mr. Lopez was born in Puerto Rico and now lives New Canaan.
Assembly 142nd District
Southeastern New Canaan and northern Norwalk
Fred Wilms
Incumbent, Republican
State Representative Fred Wilms is running for re-election as representative for the 142nd district. He serves on the appropriations, transportation and public health committees of the general assembly.
He is a senior vice president of Webster Bank where he works with small businesses in New Canaan, Norwalk and lower Fairfield County.
He has been in involved in Norwalk city government for 15 years. He served as chairman of the Board of Estimate and Taxation from 2005 to 2013. He prides himself in “helping protect Norwalk’s AAA bond rating.”
Rep. Wilms served on Norwalk Common Council, the Water Pollution Control Authority and the Zoning Board of Appeals. He also served on the state’s Transportation Strategy Board.
Mr. Wilms volunteers as president for the Norwalk Senior Center and is an active member of the Norwalk Chamber of Commerce.
Anna Duleep
Working Families Party
Anna Duleep surprised people in the last few days by announcing her run for the 142nd district as state representative on the Working Families Party. In 2010, she ran as a Democrat for state representative. She has worked as city sheriff of Norwalk and was a former Common Council member in Norwalk.
She accepted the nomination of the Working Families Party and says she would be the “the first female of Indian descent” to serve in the Connecticut General Assembly.
She has worked on the Youth Services Advisory Board, Coalition of Norwalk Neighborhood Associations and Silvermine Community Association. She interned for the Connecticut Legal Services.
She attended Harvard University in psychology and she studied for a Master of Arts in teaching at Sacred Heart University. She has worked as a math teacher in Bridgeport.
Ms. Duleep is a lifelong Norwalk resident.
Incumbents, challengers line up to represent New Canaan in Hartford.
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