CT Patch Candidate Profile: Cristin McCarthy Vahey For 133rd District

FAIRFIELD, CT — The 2022 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 gubernatorial election, but every state representative and senate seat is up for grabs. All five of Connecticut's congressional seats, plus one U.S. Senate seat, 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

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

Cristin McCarthy Vahey, a Fairfield resident, is running for State Representative 133rd House District:

Campaign website

https://www.cristinmccarthyvahey.com/

Party affiliation

Democrat

Education

Cristin McCarthy Vahey has represented the 133rd District since 2015. She co-chairs the legislature's Planning and Development Committee, is a social worker and community advocate, and has held leadership roles in numerous community organizations, including co-founding Fairfield CARES. In 2005 Cristin was elected to Fairfield’s Representative Town Meeting, and in 2011 to the Board of Selectmen. Cristin received her B.A. in Economics and Government from the University of Notre Dame and her MSW from the University of Washington. She and her husband, Brian, are parents to three children.

Occupation

As a social worker, I have worked in post-adoption, volunteered to prevent substance misuse and suicide, and now use those skills as a legislator, where I have served for the past 8 years.

Family

My husband, Brian, a Navy Veteran, and I have been married 27 years. We are parents to three children, all of whom attend or attended Fairfield Public Schools. Emma is a 2020 graduate of Georgetown University, Daniel is a sophomore at Northeastern University, and Gabriel is a sophomore at Fairfield Warde High School.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Not in Connecticut.

Age

52

Previous public office, appointive or elective

Representative Town Meeting - 2005 - 2011
Board of Selectmen 2011-2014
State Representative 2015 - Present

Why are you seeking this office?

As a parent, social worker, and state representative, I have brought people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives to the table to solve the everyday problems facing our communities. As I continue the tradition of service I learned from my parents and grandparents, I will continue to use my experience, skills, and knowledge to work collaboratively with others to address our challenges and maximize our opportunities. It is a privilege and a joy to serve.
Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

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

My experience as an elected leader locally and at the state level, my work as a social worker and community leader with various youth serving, civic, and church groups, and my involvement as a parent over the 20 years my children have attended Fairfield Public Schools have given me the opportunity to learn about the broad range of perspectives in the community. I have developed relationships locally and throughout the state, including with regional, state and federal stakeholders who provide resources and support to the community. My understanding of the interplay among and between agencies and levels of government allows me to more effectively advocate for the needs of the entire community. Years of attending community meetings and working collaboratively on policy solutions have taught me so much about both Fairfield and Bridgeport. This work is done by bringing diverse voices together and I have a track record of doing just that.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

As I mentioned in my previous answer, there are many issues that concern the residents of the 133rd district, and many on which they take the lead, locally, and at the state and national level. I will work collaboratively with the people of the 133rd to champion their issues, whether it is safety on our roadways, preventing the use of harmful chemicals, improving coastal resiliency, handling food waste, increasing recycling, addressing racism and inequality, creating mental health parity, preventing suicide and overdose deaths, and more. I will work in partnership, as I have on each of these issues.

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

I have championed landmark legislation to support children's mental health, led efforts to expand our bicycle and pedestrian safety laws, and created expanded access to the ballot.

As a committee co-chair, I led on legislation that expanded outdoor dining, supporting our struggling restaurants, allowed for expanded use of remote meetings and increased transparency, and passed the state's Plan of Conservation and Development. I led the establishment of the Commission on Connecticut's Development and Future, including five working groups with diverse stakeholders addressing questions about how we plan for our future.

Together with Democratic leaders in Hartford and Governor Lamont, we have assured access to reproductive rights and protected Connecticut providers, cut the gas tax and provided free bus service, created a Community Investment Fund to directly invest hundreds of millions of dollars into our cities, made historic payments towards our pension debt, filled our rainy day fund, and increased school funding.

I have been instrumental in securing funding for sewer improvements, roadway safety design and construction, Operation Hope, the Center for Family Justice, and multiple infrastructure improvements in Fairfield.

As a community leader, I co-founded Fairfield CARES community coalition, and worked with coalition partners to secure a 5 year Drug Free Communities grant, funding a full time coordinator.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

I have been fortunate to receive quite a bit of good advice over the years, thanks to the wise and generous people in my life, but I have to go with one of the first things I learned as a child, the Golden Rule. Treat others as you would like to be treated. We are all connected to one another.