State Rep. Laura Devlin Announces Reelection Campaign

FAIRFIELD, CT — State Rep. Laura Devlin, a Republican, announced Friday she has filed paperwork to run for reelection in the 134th General Assembly District.

"Fairfield and Trumbull are two of the most desirable communities in our state and I hope to have the opportunity to serve you again in the next legislative term,” Devlin said in a news release.

Devlin was elected to the legislature in 2014. Most recently, she defeated Democrat Ashley Gaudiano in 2018 by about 250 votes, according to state election records. Fairfield's Democratic Town Committee does not yet have an official District 134 state representative candidate for 2020, Vice Chair Cathy Curley confirmed Friday, nor did state filing records indicate any other candidates had taken formal action to seek the seat.

Devlin is the House ranking member of the transportation committee and has spent the better part of the last year working for a comprehensive transportation plan that prioritizes projects, modernizes rail service, and does not increase taxes or implement tolls, according to the news release. She also serves on the legislature’s finance, revenue and bonding committee, the transportation bonding subcommittee, and the education committee.

Among her accomplishments in the last legislative session, Devlin supported bipartisan legislation to curb Connecticut's opioid epidemic, as well as PTSD coverage for law enforcement officers and firefighters, and a cancer relief fund for firefighters who develop certain kinds of cancer on the job, the news release said. Additionally, Devlin worked with Fairfield parents to pass legislation on the accessibility of EpiPens on school buses for children with life-threatening allergies.

Devlin also supported a statewide ban on fracking waste disposal and helped secure a constitutional amendment on the 2018 ballot to protect state lands from being sold or given away without public input. She worked to stop municipal cuts to state aid that could have forced towns to raise their property taxes, according to the news release. She also opposed attempts by the governor to reverse the phase out of the state tax on Social Security and pensions, the news release said.

“In Connecticut, there is a sincere effort by me and my colleagues to work across the political aisle, with almost 90% of legislation passing unanimously. However, when it comes to tax policies and those affecting our state’s economy and the business environment, we have disagreements,” Devlin said in the news release. “The last legislative session was the least business-friendly session in recent years, which is not a path to job creation or economic recovery.”

Devlin and her husband have lived in Fairfield for over 20 years, where they raised and educated their two children.