CT Patch Candidate Profile: Brooke Hopkins For State Representative

WOODBRIDGE, CT — Election Day on Nov. 3, 2026, is fast approaching, and there are a number of key races on the ballot in Connecticut.

Patch reached out to candidates for office to get more information on their campaigns and the issues that are facing the state and town.

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Candidate's Name:

Brooke Hopkins

What office are you seeking?

State Representative

Age:

54

District:

114

Party:

Republican

Campaign website:

https://brookeforstaterep.com/

Occupation:

More than 30 years as a Social Worker, I teach at the UCONN School of Social Work, Woodbridge Assistant Town Clerk and Deputy Registrar of Voters.

Does anyone in your family work in government?

No.

Previous public office:

I previously served on the Woodbridge Board of Education and currently serve as Assistant Town Clerk and Deputy Registrar of Voters in Woodbridge.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am seeking this office because I believe government works best when it listens to the people it serves. Throughout my nearly 30-year career as a social worker, educator, and community advocate, I have helped individuals and families overcome challenges, find solutions, and build better lives. I want to bring that same people-over-politics approach to Hartford.

Seeing the impact of the rising cost of living was another reason I decided to run. Every day, I see the growing burden these costs place on working families and seniors, not to mention the loss of local decision-making to state mandates. Our communities deserve a representative who understands their concerns and respects their voices.

Above all, I believe public service should be about people, not politics. I am running to bring independent thinking and a willingness to work across party lines to address the challenges facing our community.

What do you believe is the No. 1 issue facing Connecticut, and how do you plan to address it?

I believe affordability, particularly our skyrocketing energy costs, is the biggest issue facing Connecticut. However, since this questionnaire gives me another opportunity to discuss those concerns specifically, I want to address another issue that I feel strongly about: Hartford's continued erosion of local control through its mass housing mandates.

I believe our communities should have the final say in how they grow and develop, not politicians in Hartford. Yet we continue to see legislation that takes decisions away from local planning and zoning commissions and places more authority in the hands of the state. Our towns are not all the same, and treating them as though they are ignores the very real concerns residents have about traffic, overcrowding, infrastructure, and preserving the character of their communities.

My opponent, Mary Welander, voted in favor of both HB 5002 and HB 8002 in 2025. Both bills imposed new mass housing planning mandates on municipalities and restricted local authority over zoning and development decisions. These have directly resulted in forced mass housing proposals such as Fountain street and Beecher Road in Woodbridge. I fundamentally disagree with this approach. The people who live in our towns, pay the property taxes, and deal with the consequences of these decisions deserve better and I WILL do better.

I'm not against new housing or responsible development. But there's a right way and a wrong way to go about it. If elected, I will work to roll back these state mandates, restore local decision-making, and ensure that future development respects the needs and wishes of the communities it affects. Hartford should be working with our towns, not making these decisions for them.

Energy costs have been soaring in Connecticut. What are your plans to help address this issue?

Energy costs are one of the biggest issues facing our friends and neighbors. I've faced these issues firsthand, which is a reason why I decided to run for office in the first place. And now, as a candidate, it is the number one issue people bring up to me when I knock on doors. People shouldn't have to worry about whether they can afford to heat their homes, keep the lights on, or run their small businesses. Connecticut's electricity costs are simply too high, and we need to do something about it.

I would start by closely examining the state-mandated costs built into our electric bills, particularly the charges tied to green taxes and public benefits. I support reducing, if not outright eliminating, these costs and would also advocate for prohibiting utility companies from passing them on to ratepayers.

I also believe we need to hold our utility companies accountable. That means greater scrutiny of proposed rate increases, more transparency about how ratepayer money is spent, and investment in reliable, affordable energy sources. Our utility companies already have the right to charge ratepayers above market rates under a prior legislative deal; PURA should not give them the green light to raise rates further.

We can support a responsible energy future without making Connecticut families foot the bill for every new initiative. My priority is putting the people paying these bills first.

Affordability has been a major topic across the country and here in Connecticut. How do you plan to address this issue?

Affordability isn't just a talking point. It's something families are dealing with every day. Whether it's the grocery bill, filling up the gas tank, paying the mortgage, or keeping the lights on, just about everything seems to cost more. I've spoken with seniors worried about being able to stay in their homes and families who feel like they're working harder than ever just to make ends meet.

While Connecticut can't control every rising cost, there are things we can do in Hartford to provide meaningful relief.

For starters, I support cutting Connecticut's gas taxes. Right now, the state collects a 25-cent-per-gallon gas tax and imposes an additional 8.1% tax at the wholesale level, costs that directly impact consumers at the gas pumps. I also want to reduce the state-mandated renewable energy charges built into our electric bills and ensure that utility companies are held accountable for the rates they charge.

We also need to take a serious look at how decisions in Hartford affect local property taxes. When the state imposes expensive mandates on our towns without providing the funding to pay for them, local taxpayers can be left picking up the tab. I would fight to reduce these unfunded mandates and give our communities greater flexibility to manage their own budgets.

Finally, I want to make Connecticut a more affordable place to do business. That means cutting unnecessary regulations, avoiding new taxes, and making it easier for small businesses to grow.

I don't believe there's a single piece of legislation that will solve our affordability problems overnight. But I do believe we can make a real difference by focusing on the things our state government can control, like being more responsible with taxpayer dollars and cutting unnecessary taxes that further burden our taxpayers.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I've spent nearly 30 years as a social worker helping people through difficult situations and trying to make a difference in my community. I believe my accomplishments throughout those years speak to both my commitment to public service and my ability to get things done.

One of my proudest accomplishments was co-founding CT Youth Resources, a $ 2 million organization focused on mentoring at-risk youth and supporting families. I also take pride in founding the Kelly Ryan Foundation in 2012. Through that organization, we raised more than $150,000 to help grieving families cover funeral and burial expenses after losing a child. Both experiences taught me that the first step to fixing a problem is by bringing people together over a common goal and working together to achieve that goal.

I've also had the privilege of serving on the Woodbridge Board of Education, working in our Town Clerk's Office, and serving as a Deputy Registrar of Voters. These roles have given me firsthand experience with local government and a better understanding of the decisions that affect our communities. Additionally, as a teacher at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work, I've had the opportunity to educate and mentor the next generation of social workers.

I'm proud of what I've accomplished, but I'm even more grateful for the people I've been able to help along the way. I've spent my career listening, working through difficult problems, Those are the same skills and experiences I would bring to the legislature.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

One thing I would really like to see is a return to civility and a greater sense of community in government. At the end of the day, we're all neighbors. We shop at the same stores, drive the same roads, send our children to the same schools, and share many of the same hopes and concerns for our communities. We may not always agree on everything, but that shouldn't stop us from listening to one another, treating each other with respect, and working together.

My career as a social worker has brought people together, helped them navigate difficult situations, and helped them find common ground. I've learned that some of the best solutions come from simply sitting down, listening, and recognizing that we often have more in common than we realize.

I can't fix what's happening in Washington, but Hartford is much closer to our community than D.C. is, and decisions made in Hartford affect our daily lives in much greater ways. I believe we have an opportunity to set a better example right here in Connecticut by putting people first and remembering who we're there to serve.

My hope is to bring that spirit of cooperation and community to Hartford. Because long after an election is over, we're still neighbors, and we're all invested in the future of the place we call home.