Patch Candidate Profile: Jennifer Leeper, 132nd House District

FAIRFIELD, CT — Election Day is Nov. 3, and there are a number of key races on the ballot in Fairfield.

To help educate readers about the state's election, Patch reached out to candidates for office to get more information on their campaigns, and about the issues that are facing the community and the state.

Candidate's Name:

Jennifer Leeper

What office are you seeking?

State Representative

Age:

42

District:

132

Party:

Democrat

Campaign website:

https://www.leeperforfairfield.com

Occupation:

I have been your State Representative for the last six years, serving for the last two as the Co-Chair of the Education Committee. Prior to that, I worked for Connecticut’s State Department of Education as a policy and data analyst. I also have served as a school administrator in New York City where I served as a director of special education. I served on the local Board of Education here in Fairfield as well.

Family:

My husband Nick and I have two boys. They are in fifth and seventh grades in Fairfield’s Public Schools.

Does anyone in your family work in government?

No

Previous public office:

I was on Fairfield’s Board of Education prior to being a State Representative.

Why are you seeking this office?

I ran for office in 2020 on the promise of rebuilding CT’s economy and doing it by putting people first. I’m proud of how my colleagues and I have delivered on that vision. We have taken meaningful steps to get our economy going in the right direction by cutting $1.2 billion in taxes to the middle class and our seniors, paying down another $15 billion in our legacy pension debts, which saves us hundreds of millions of dollars in our operating budget every year, and maintaining a historic $4.5 billion rainy day fund, and for the 8th consecutive year a budget surplus, which will help us weather any uncertainty that lies ahead.

I’m really proud of what we have achieved for Fairfield. We’ve extended the statutory pause on the state’s Racial Imbalance Law to avoid school redistricting; we brought back $18M in state aid to offset property taxes; delivered a 75% reimbursement rate on the Dwight Elementary School rebuild, estimated to save $57M from local taxpayers; and we incentivized proactive planning for development with the provision of additional infrastructure funding.

The past two years have stood out as unique from the time I’ve served because of the constant changes, disruptions, and confusion caused by the Federal Administration. This federal chaos impacts us tremendously at the state level, as federal funding that had been approved is rescinded with no warning, policy changes disrupt and discontinue programs, and nearly complete energy projects are halted. This has meant that, rather than focusing on service delivery, improving systems, and innovating, a lot of time and energy has been spent navigating and responding to the consistently shifting landscape caused by the federal government.

Thankfully, our budget surplus allowed the legislature, along with the Governor, to create a $500 million Federal Cut Reserve Fund to support residents who have lost health care, food assistance, and home heating assistance. However, rather than these funds either going back into our pockets, municipal aid, or paying down our pensions, we need to set them aside to offset federal cuts.

I was first sworn in to be the State Representative of the 132nd district on Jan. 6, 2021. I was hopeful that after that day, we would return to a world where the political parties debated policy differences, but I fear our democracy is even more fragile now than it was then. I am committed to continuing to use my professional background as a data analyst to build common ground, engage in fact-based policy debates, and to be honest with constituents about the complexity of the challenges that we face. I have always believed in doing the work to find solutions to the challenges we face and not in just highlighting the problems.

I believe I have delivered on this promise for our community and recognize that there is always more to do. With many very significant issues being returned to the states, who we have serving in our state legislature, governing on issues and being our firewall from the potential chaos in Washington, is more important than ever. We need leaders committed to dialing down the temperature of our politics and bringing people together. I have worked hard to do this here in Fairfield and it’s been an absolute honor to serve this community and I hope to earn the privilege of continuing to be your State Representative.

What do you believe is the No. 1 issue facing Connecticut, and how do you plan to address it?

The number one issue facing Connecticut is the cost of living. Inflation has only worsened alongside higher interest rates and steep cuts to federal assistance. The combination of these factors have been devastating for many, many families. As your legislator, I have worked hard to tackle affordability and maintain economic stability. We made the state’s largest income tax cut, expanded tax exemptions for pension, annuity, and IRA retirement income for our seniors, and established the $712M early childhood endowment to help families afford childcare and stay in the workforce.

Additionally, a key part of improving our overall affordability and keeping taxes down is also in growing our tax base by attracting more businesses, helping them grow, and bringing workers here. Our businesses identify our lack of housing, both supply and affordability, as the top concern for them growing their businesses here in CT. In order to grow our state’s economy, employers must have places for their employees to live and it’s essential that we balance how we grow our economy with the impacts that growth has on development. The state made tens of millions available to towns to support infrastructure needs alongside their planning.

Energy costs have been soaring in Connecticut. What are your plans to help address this issue?

The Northeast has high electric rates for several reasons: limited storage capacity, many energy peak days over the winter and now also over the summer, and not having access to additional pipelines carrying natural gas or hydro due to pipeline moratoriums in the surrounding states. I am supportive of exploring natural gas expansion. This past session, the legislature removed hundreds of millions of dollars from the public benefits charge to lower ratepayers’ bills.

Another component that drives our region’s high rates is insufficient supply. We need more generation, which is why the federal government ending subsidies for families to transition to solar and corresponding battery storage has been really difficult. Additionally, the federal government halted our 80% complete Revolution Wind project, driving costs up even higher, preventing our ability to get new clean energy on the grid, and with no clear purpose. In the wake of the war in Iran and skyrocketing diesel and oil prices, access to that energy is all the more valuable. It is unprecedented to experience our federal government seemingly working against us. Ideally, we would continue the financial assistance that once was available to families to adopt solar and bring their energy costs down, we would incentivize more clean energy generation, expand the Energy Storage Solutions (ESS) battery storage program run through the Green Bank, and also explore ways to implement Nuclear microreactors.

Lastly, as someone who took on UI after their monopole proposal, I fully understand the undue control our utilities hold. The “Transmission” cost on our bills reflects the infrastructure costs to transmit electricity from plants to substations. This infrastructure is primarily regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and I continue to engage our federal partners in this work so that we can meaningfully reform our utilities and have federal assistance in shouldering the cost burden, such as undergrounding.

Affordability has been a major topic across the country and here in Connecticut. How do you plan to address this issue?

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

I have fought for Fairfield for the last six years and delivered the solutions that my constituents have asked for. 1. Prevented school redistricting by pausing the 1960s-era racial imbalance law, 2. Improved the 8-30g law by awarding points toward our moratorium for middle housing (i.e. duplex, triplex, quadplex) in “as of right” zones, regardless of affordability, and provided infrastructure funds for responsible planning, 3. After bearing witness to UI’s egregious proposal to build monopoles throughout Fairfield and Southport and take over 7 miles of privately owned property along the way, we passed a law that reformed the Siting Council. Now, the legislation improves the requirements of public notice and engagement, provides robust financial analysis, and enforces penalties on utilities. Lastly, as the Education Committee Co-Chair, I’ve helped deliver $190 million in additional dollars for our schools across the state, require best practices in literacy education, created a Civics Seal of Education and Engagement on high school students’ diplomas, and supported the creation of the Early Childcare Education Endowment to bring down the costs of childcare for families.

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

Thank you for the honor of trusting me to be your Representative for the past 6 years. It's been a pleasure. I promise to continue to listen, learn, engage, and find common ground. I hope to be able to continue to do this important work in our State Capitol, representing you all as we work toward a brighter future.