Patch Candidate Profile: Andrew Ziemba For 17th State House

Editor's Note: Connecticut Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

CANTON, CT — The 2026 election is heating up in Connecticut, and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Eyes are primarily focused on the Connecticut gubernatorial election, but every state representative and senate seat is up for grabs. All five of Connecticut's congressional seats are up for grabs as well.

There are 151 seats in the state House of Representatives and 36 in the state Senate.

Democrats currently hold majorities in both chambers.

State Sen. Eleni Kavros DeGraw, D-Avon, is being challenged for her 17th State House District seat by Canton Republican Andrew Ziemba.

The 17th House District includes Canton and part of Avon.

Candidate's Name:
Andrew Ziemba

What office are you seeking?
State Representative for the 17th District

Age:
39

District:
17

Party:
Republican

Campaign website:
https://www.ziembaforstaterep.com/

Occupation:
Residential solar consultant

Family:
Wife and son

Does anyone in your family work in government?
No

Previous public office:
Canton Board Of Finance, Board Of Assessment Appeals

Why are you seeking this office?
I’m running for State Representative because Connecticut needs more balance, and Canton and Avon need a stronger voice in Hartford.

One party currently holds veto-proof supermajorities in the legislature.

Regardless of party, that much power concentrated on one side does not produce the best government. We need balance and accountability.

Families, seniors, and small businesses are already dealing with some of the nation’s highest electric bills and rising property taxes.

For 13 years, the Education Cost Sharing formula has left Canton and Avon flat-funded, while increased unfunded state mandates have pushed additional costs onto local taxpayers. Those two failures have contributed heavily to our property tax crisis.

I am also running to protect local control of development, data centers, and solar fields.

I am the only candidate in this race calling for the removal of Flock cameras. Warrantless mass surveillance of law-abiding residents is a clear violation of our constitutional rights.

I am also the only candidate calling for a pause on data centers and a repeal of their lucrative subsidies.

Corporate profits should not come before our environment, grid infrastructure, and quality of life.

What do you believe is the No. 1 issue facing Connecticut, and how do you plan to address it?
Affordability is the number one issue facing Connecticut, and for Canton and Avon homeowners and seniors, it shows up in two places: the electric bill and the property tax bill.

Electric bills should reflect the cost of providing reliable electricity. The Public Benefits Charge should be removed from electric bills, along with costs unrelated to delivering power. Putting the Millstone contract on electric bills was a bipartisan mistake. Affordability and reliability must come first. I work in residential solar and support it, but we also need nuclear and natural gas to maintain a reliable grid and bring costs down. Lower energy costs help every household and business and reduce the cost of goods and services throughout Connecticut.

Property taxes are the other half of the affordability crisis. Canton and Avon send substantial tax dollars to Hartford, yet our towns have been shortchanged on state education funding while being burdened with unfunded mandates. When the state tells towns what they must spend without providing the funding, the cost ultimately falls on local property taxpayers.

I will fight for our towns’ fair share, reduce unfunded mandates, and work to lower the cost of electricity. We cannot tax and borrow our way to affordability.

Energy costs have been soaring in Connecticut. What are your plans to help address this issue?
We don’t need more programs or more bureaucracy; we need concrete solutions. Connecticut has spent too long kicking the can down the road on modernizing our electric infrastructure. This is an example of responsible bonding I would support. I have professional experience working with the grid, and I support infrastructure investment that improves reliability and lowers long-term costs. A stronger grid and lower utility costs will make Connecticut more business-friendly and help lower the cost of goods and services throughout our state.

We also need an all-of-the-above energy strategy, including solar to help meet peak demand and nuclear and natural gas to provide reliable power when we need it. Natural gas remains one of the cheapest ways to heat a home.

We must also ensure that data centers do not drive up costs for families and businesses. If they expand here, they should be responsible for the additional power generation and infrastructure they require — not existing ratepayers.

Finally, policy and program costs that do not belong on electric bills should be removed. Our priorities should be affordability, reliability, and economic growth.

Affordability has been a major topic across the country and here in Connecticut. How do you plan to address this issue?
When has affordability not been a problem in Connecticut? For decades, we’ve talked about making Connecticut more affordable while incrementally adding taxes, fees, and charges that make it more expensive.

Individually, each may seem small, but together they increase the cost of living for working families, seniors, and small businesses.

Most recently, the state authorized $300 million in borrowing to temporarily offset costs that otherwise would have appeared in the Public Benefits portion of electric bills. That was a bipartisan mistake. Borrowing money to temporarily lower a bill does not make the cost disappear—it simply passes the cost on to taxpayers in the future.

I will focus on the costs state government can control: electric bills, unnecessary taxes and fees, and unfunded mandates that drive up property taxes. I will also fight for Canton and Avon’s fair share of state funding.

My pledge is simple: I will not vote to raise your taxes by one dime.

We cannot tax and borrow our way to affordability. We need practical, bipartisan solutions that make government more efficient and leave more money in the pockets of the people who earned it.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
My experience has taught me how to run a business, understand a budget, negotiate, and work with people from different backgrounds and perspectives.

As a former small business owner, I understand firsthand the pressures Connecticut businesses face - from utilities, fuel, supplies, and shipping to taxes, regulations, and competition from other states.

As a solar consultant, I sit at kitchen tables with homeowners across Connecticut, from Bridgeport to Greenwich and Avon to Hartford. My job requires me to listen, explain complicated issues, negotiate, and find solutions that work for people with very different circumstances.

I have also served on the board of finance, where I gained firsthand experience with municipal budgets and saw how state policies, unfunded mandates, and inadequate state support affect our towns and property taxpayers.

I understand business, I understand budgets, and I know how to work with people who don't always agree with me. We are all Nutmeggers, and we need to work together to make our state better.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I’m a proud American and a proud Nutmegger, regardless of who leads our state or our nation. My love for our country and our state has never depended on which party is in power. I’m running to bring people together, restore the sensible middle in our politics, and move Connecticut forward in a positive direction.

I’m a centrist Republican and an independent thinker. I believe good ideas can come from either side of the aisle, and I’m focused on what unites us. I want to represent people who feel disconnected or left out of our political system. My responsibility is to the people I represent, not political parties or special interests.

I have a career I enjoy and a family I love dearly. I’m not seeking office for power or a title. Too many people enter politics and stay too long. I support term limits and believe public service should be temporary: serve your community, do the job well, and then return to private life.

At the end of the day, I love this community. I want to protect our community and preserve the opportunities previous generations created for us.

I want Canton and Avon to remain places where the next generation can build a future and where the people who built these towns can afford to stay.

That is what this campaign is about for me.