Fairfield Candidate Profile: Jennifer Leeper For State Rep

FAIRFIELD, CT — On Tuesday, voters in the 132nd legislative district will cast their ballots in a special election to replace former state representative Brenda Kupchick, who stepped down from the post when she was elected first selectwoman in November.

Fairfield Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will continue covering the race through Election Day.

Jennifer Leeper is a Democrat and member of the Board of Education. She is a founding partner of 475 Consulting Group. She and her husband have two sons.

Candidate responses appear as they were received and have not been edited by Patch staff.

The single most pressing issue facing District 132 is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing District 132 is continuing to strengthen our local education system. We have an excellent school system that both prepares our children for a successful future and makes our community a great place to raise a family. My experience in education at both the local and state levels will ensure that Fairfield has a strong voice in Hartford that not only provides us with our fair share of state aid, but implements policies that gives our schools the tools needed to thrive.

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

I am a small business owner and understand the challenges of our current economy and what it will take to encourage economic growth both locally and for our state. In addition, as a member of our local Board of Education and former policy analyst at the state Department of Education, I have the knowledge and experience to keep our school system strong which is critical to the overall success of our community. As a Board of Education member, I have the proven record of supporting our teachers and administrators who are essential to the delivery of our extremely high-quality instruction.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Investing in our aging transportation infrastructure is critical to our future economy, which is why it is a top priority of our business community including the Fairfield County Business Council. As a commuter family, I understand the stifling impact that slower trains and aging highways have on families and our economy. We need to fix our roads and bridges and invest in improvements to our trains if we are going to create an environment here for future economic growth.

We also need to incentivize job growth by better aligning curriculum and workforce training programs with employer needs. This will help us create a pipeline of talent and jobs.

My formal training and professional experience are in analyzing data, evaluating programs, and conducting cost-benefit analyses. I will use exactly these skills to assess which regulations are out dated or not achieving their objective and work to reduce red tape wherever possible. There must be more stability and predictability with state taxation and regulation so businesses can plan for their future with more confidence.

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

As mentioned above, my experience in analyzing data, meeting with stake holders, drafting policy, and communicating proposals with the public has very well prepared me for being a legislator.

Additionally, my experience serving on our Board of Education has given me the wonderful opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with so many people in our community, which is a great foundation for successfully representing our town at the State Capitol. Specifically, as a BOE member, I was part of a team that restored civility to a previously divisive board. We work in a non-partisan fashion to analyze challenges, propose solutions, assess the cost-benefit of new initiatives, and communicate our work with the public. It is in this same fashion that I will continue to serve Fairfield and Southport as your next State Representative.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

“God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. Use them proportionally.” Listening to others ideas, perspectives, and concerns is one of the most important qualities to being successful in any industry and to being an effective leader. Common ground is found by listening. There is nothing more important than listening when your job is to represent the interest of others in our state government. No one has all the answers, and listening and learning from others and inviting people with subject matter expertise to sit at the table is essential for crafting effective policy.

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

Despite the divisiveness and negativity that often seems to permeate public discussions on various issues these days, I am very optimistic about the future of our community and state. I believe it is important to work with my colleagues in Hartford regardless of political party whenever there is common ground to be found and that is how we will find the best solutions to the challenges we face, and not get bogged down in the partisan lines that that can prevent us from moving forward.