CT Patch Candidate Profile: Sarah Keitt For 134th 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.

Sarah Keitt, a Fairfield resident, is running for State Representative in the 134th House District:

Campaign website

https://www.SarahKeittForStateRep.com

Party affiliation

Democratic

Education

BA, Biology, Middlebury College. MPH, George Washington University School of Public Health

Occupation

I worked for various national nonprofit health advocacy organizations for 15 years before leaving the workforce to raise my children. For the last 22 years, I have also been an active volunteer for the National MS Society at the state, local, and national levels. I also served on for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) for over 7 years. I currently serve on Fairfield’s Town Plan and Zoning Commission.

Family

I have been married to my husband Geordie for 20 years. We have two children. Lucy is 18 and attends the University of New Haven. Theo is 16 and attends Fairfield Warde High School.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Age

53

Previous public office, appointive or elective

Yes. I was elected as an alternate for Fairfield’s Town Plan and Zoning Commission in 2021.

Why are you seeking this office?

As a 25-year advocate for women, children, and the disabled community, I was growing increasingly frustrated as I watch these vulnerable populations being left behind by our government, especially during the pandemic. I want to bring my experience to Hartford to enact evidence-based policies to make Connecticut a healthy, affordable, and inclusive place for all our residents to live and thrive.
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?

I have the experience and the passion necessary to move policy forward. I have decades of experience working on issues from sensible gun control, to making housing safer and more affordable for seniors, to improving access to mental health care services, to securing funding for family caregivers. I know how to build consensus to achieve meaningful results.

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

This is an open seat.

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

I will fight for women’s reproductive freedom, sensible gun control laws, a public health approach to preventing gun violence, expanding mental health care services for our children, protecting LGBTQIA+ rights, and ensuring that our public school system remains strong, well-funded, and inclusive for all our students.

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

As the former vice-chair of the Government Relations Committee of the VA Chapter of the National MS Society, I set policy priorities and action plans for achieving those objectives. In my role as a peer reviewer for the CDMRP, I served on the committee responsible for allocating millions of dollars of research funding, providing me with the experience needed to prioritize competing needs in a budgeting process. My experience with Fairfield’s Town Plan and Zoning has also prepared me to balance competing needs and interests for the sake of the community.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Welcome the unexpected

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

I pledge to put my decades of experience to work for the people of the 134th District to make Fairfield, Trumbull, and Southport vibrant, healthy, safe, and inclusive places to live, work and thrive.