Candidate Profile: Michelle McCabe For Senate District 28

CONNECTICUT — The 2020 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 presidential 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 with a 91 to 60 lead over Republicans in the House and a 22 to 14 lead in the Senate.

Connecticut Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Michelle McCabe, a Fairfield resident, is running for Senate District 28.

Age: 51

Party affiliation: Democratic Party

Family: Three sons, ages 18, 16 and 14

Occupation: Director of the Center for Food Equity and Economic Development with The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, 12 years in food systems and public policy nonprofit work

Previous elected experience: Board of Trustees, Fairfield Public Library (appointed)

Family members in government: No

Campaign website: www.michelleforct.com

The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Our state’s resilience and sustainability is the single most pressing issue we face. The pandemic, extreme weather events, and inequity presented a stress test for our state, revealing flaws that we must address now to build a bright future for all who live here. The fault lines revealed include an overpriced energy market with too few players and not enough backup systems, inefficient broadband infrastructure to support heavy internet use, a business community and school system in need of support so they can successfully pivot into new delivery systems, a growing gun violence problem in our cities, a workforce in need of support, and a health care system that prices out too many residents in need of care. I plan to address these challenges through comprehensive policies, many of which are tied to growing a robust green economy that would lower our energy costs, reduce our carbon footprint, create jobs, lower the cost of building, and make Connecticut an extremely attractive place to live, work, and operate a business. I will support Comptroller Kevin Lembo’s public option to make health insurance affordable for individuals and small businesses and will expand mental health care accessibility and coverage. I will advocate for benefits reform that supports the workforce and our small businesses. I will invest in community-led gun violence prevention efforts. And I will push to leverage the state’s buying power to stimulate innovation and stability.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I bring both innovation and boots-on-the-ground experience solving problems at the community level. I know how to do more than simply apply a Band-Aid and I know how to bring stakeholders around the table to develop effective solutions. I will use this same innovative and collaborative approach in Hartford, where I plan to write meaningful legislation to support the priorities of residents and businesses of the 28th District, the positive impact of which will be felt by my constituents. Too often, we experience a disconnect between the challenges we face daily and the decisions being made in Hartford. As a senator, I will leverage every opportunity available to make Connecticut and the 28th District affordable, resilient, sustainable and equitable. I will settle for nothing less and can assure my constituents that I won’t make excuses as to why nothing is changing for the better.

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

As the director of the Center for Food Equity and Economic Development with the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, I know firsthand the importance of investing in people and businesses to grow our economy, and the ways that we can use innovation to our advantage. Instead of simply applying Band-Aid solutions to food insecurity, I’ve created jobs, helped people launch businesses and become self-sufficient, and developed more efficient systems for food distribution that reduce the burden on taxpayers. I have long been involved in public policy work through my advocacy efforts. As a result, I know how policy can enhance our ability to thrive as residents and as businesses.

Do you believe Connecticut needs reform when it comes to electric utility oversight? What steps, if any should be taken?

Absolutely, we need comprehensive reform to Connecticut’s energy market. First, we need the regulatory agency, PURA, to exist as an independent entity, not under the control of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. PURA needs to be given more power to truly regulate the utility companies. Second, we need to remove barriers, such as easement restrictions, that hamper our communities’ ability to share and store power. Third, we need to allow our clean energy options — solar, wind, anaerobic digestion, and geothermal — to be competitive and available options for residents and businesses. Fourth, we need to invest in microgrids and energy storage solutions. We are all connected to a single massive grid, which leaves us incredibly vulnerable to cybersecurity breaches, an extreme weather event, or some other problem that could interrupt service. We need to diversify our options across the board to be resilient to the kind of disruptions that are inevitable.

What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses?

First, we can lower the cost of doing business by offsetting the cost of insurance through a public option and addressing the high cost of electricity as outlined above. Second, we can enact comprehensive benefits reform that strengthens the workforce upon which our local businesses depend. Third, we can invest in an infrastructure that allows businesses to more easily pivot in times of disruption either in their service delivery (e.g. online platform) or a shift in production (e.g. distilleries making hand sanitizer). Fourth, we can address the delays in permitting that are hampering new industries from getting started and established industries from further growth. Fifth, we can create a college loan forgiveness program to attract and keep young talent in Connecticut. Sixth, we can partner with businesses to ensure customer confidence in safety as well as better coordination of supply for PPE and other safeguards and clear protocols for safe operation.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Addressing pension liabilities by forming a trust and transferring state assets into the trust in order to fund it; passing a Green New Deal for Connecticut that includes increased clean energy options, increased microgrid and energy storage construction, a robust recover-recycle-reuse program and extended producer responsibility policies, increased green building with repurposed materials, investing in local growers and food producers, and creating a turnkey infrastructure for companies to easily implement environmental social governance standards;
ensuring that all students in Connecticut receive the funding and resources they need to be on equal footing; enacting gun violence prevention legislation that addresses illegal gun sales, strengthens our Extreme Risk Protection Orders, and funds community-led efforts to reduce urban gun violence; address inequity by requiring implicit bias training, ensuring people of color are guiding the work, recruiting teachers of color for all Connecticut school districts, and create a restorative justice framework; and ensure that Connecticut is affordable for our seniors and that the workforce who care for seniors make a living wage.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Every policy I review, write and support will be judged according to my core values — resilience, sustainability and equity. As my guiding principles, I will ensure that Connecticut’s residents and businesses will thrive.