CT Patch Candidate Profile: Michael Grant 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.

Michael Grant, a Fairfield resident, is running for State Representative 133rd House District:

Campaign website

https://grantforstaterep.com

Party affiliation

Republican Party, Independent Party Endorsed

Education

BS Interdisciplinary Studies, Mississippi State University

Occupation

I have worked for my family's small business for nearly 25 years. My primary focus is international logistics, specializing in reverse e-commerce solutions.

Family

I have been married to my wife, Jill, for 16 years. We have two children attending Fairfield Public Schools. Our daughter, Ellie, is in second grade and our son, Ryan, is in 8th.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Age

45

Previous public office, appointive or elective

Have not.

Why are you seeking this office?

To be the voice of constituents living in the 133rd district. I was inspired to run for office after hearing repeatedly from friends and neighbors that they no longer felt that their voices were being heard. I felt the same. Incumbency can lead to complacency. We need change in the 133rd. My opponent has a history of straight party line votes. I have been endorsed by not only the Republican Party but also the Independent Party. I am dedicated to serving ALL my constituents, not just the ones that share my political affiliation.
Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Affordability. The cost of living in Connecticut has become untenable. We have the second-worst tax burden in the country, the highest utility rates in the lower 48 states, and skyrocketing diesel fuel costs have added to inflation.

To correct this, I would support legislation that would 1. Support a reduction in the state income tax. 2. Cap personal property taxes on automobiles and 3. Ease the cost of delivery of our essentials by eliminating the “Truck Tax,” and lowering the diesel fuel tax.

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

I am not a career politician, nor am I seeking to become one. My focus will be to sponsor and support legislation that gets us back to basics, reduces taxes, keeps our residents safe, maintains local control of zoning rules, and allows parents and individuals to make their own medical decisions for their children and themselves. I believe in a representative government which is limited in its size and scope. I believe in empowering people and local government, not top-down government mandates.

I pledge to represent ALL residents in the 133rd, to work across the aisle, to build consensus, to answer constituent emails, take constituent phone calls, and to answer to the people and not party leadership. I am a father, a husband, a small business owner, and I will respect this office for what it is - a part-time legislator, not a full-time politician. I will remember that I am there to represent the people. I will hold outside employment, will be connected to my community, and I won’t forget who I speak for when I am in Hartford.

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

My opponent voted along party lines 264 out 265 times in 2022. She has failed to represent all of her constituency. The people of this district deserve an independent voice, which is why I also earned the endorsement of the Independent Party.

My opponent has failed the community by supporting the Police “Accountability” Act, and refuses to acknowledge the bad parts of this bill that have resulted in impeding law enforcement’s ability to proactively do their job and keep our community safe. Our police deserve to have the same assurances on the job for safety that they provide for us in our community, and we must bring back qualified immunity. Safety is key, the incumbent has failed us. Ask around, your likelihood of knowing someone who has been the victim of a neighborhood crime has increased. I personally experienced a car theft in my own driveway. I am proud to say that my advocacy for safe communities has earned me the endorsement of the Connecticut Fraternal Order of Police.

My opponent failed the community by handing over singular executive power to the Governor well beyond the pandemic emergency. As a direct result of her voting patterns, party aligned, our children are suffering from the worst learning loss epidemic in recent history. The mental health of our children is in alarming state of concern, as suicide and self-harm is on the rise. Extended school closures and unnecessary and ineffective hybrid learning solutions tanked Connecticut's children's achievement scores. In Fairfield, only 42-43% of 7th and 8th graders are meeting the state's standard for reading, and in Bridgeport those statistics are even worse. Isolation and the prolonged cancellation of organized sports and activities had a terrible impact on pediatric mental health. Parents begged to return to normalcy as the worst of the pandemic passed, and Cristin continuously voted to extend the Governor’s executive powers. I recognize and respect a parent’s right to advocate and make decisions for their own decisions. The government, especially a singular executive authority with no checks and balances, does not know best. People deserve to be respected and heard. That line of thinking has not been met by the incumbent, instead we have received party over people.

My opponent has failed the community by allowing developers to use loopholes in the 8-30g statute, to by-pass local zoning requirements and burden our community with massive over-development and an overwhelming number of high-density apartments. Cristin holds leadership positions on committees that can enact legislation to correct these loopholes, yet she has failed to pass anything meaningful to protect our small neighborhoods, like the Judd property. These developments don’t even meet the goal of providing sufficient "affordable" housing as evidenced by the three-bedroom rental rate of $8500 per month in some of the newly built 8-30g buildings. While my opponent has refused to seek legislation to repeal this failed law. I will make it a priority.

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

We recently learned from the Connecticut Education Department’s assessment data from last year that student achievement still lags pre-pandemic levels. Students are performing about 6 to 8 percentage points below where they were in English and math and 4 points below where they were in science. This is an unacceptable statistic. We can and should be doing more to pass legislation that improves classroom learning.

We need to take a holistic approach to learning in our inner cities, where parents are in desperate need of more six-to-six schools for their children that provide not only an opportunity to learn academically, but grow socially through sports and activities that their suburban counterparts enjoy. Instead, it’s alarming to know that the legislature in Connecticut is more focused on passing legislation supportive of ideology than it is in providing resources and training that would directly benefit kids in the classrooms.

We need to back funding for the public schools that goes to classroom resources, tutoring programs for reading, writing and arithmetic. This isn’t rocket science. We need to advocate for our kids.

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

I am an accomplished small business owner; I understand what it takes to run a business in Connecticut. I live with the impact of unnecessary government regulations on CT businesses every day, and I know the ones that negatively impact our economy. I understand the importance of listening to the needs of my customers, building consensus with my work team, managing a budget, and translating that into positive results for all of us. I will take this experience and positively apply it to my work for the people as their representative in Hartford.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

I was always told as a young man, that "hard work beats talent, when talent doesn't work hard." As an 8th grade football coach here in town, I remind the kids to compete, and to not be outworked. I think this is sound advice on or off the field.

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

I am a political outsider. I have a fresh perspective. I understand the importance of answering to the people. I will respect your voice, my door will be open and you will have access to me. I will own my votes, and respect your voice, not turn a deaf ear or hand the power of governance to a singular entity or party leadership.