CT Patch Candidate Profile: Rachel Khanna For 151st House District

GREENWICH, 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.

Rachel Khanna, a Greenwich resident, is running for State Representative in the 149th House District.

Rachel Khanna, a Greenwich resident, is running for State Representative 149th House District

Campaign website

https://www.rachelforct149.com

Party affiliation

Democrat

Education

B.A. from Bryn Mawr College, M.A. in political science from Columbia University

Occupation

I started my career in Market Research at Euromonitor Consultancy and subsequently worked in Marketing at Morgan Stanley Asset Management. In recent years, I opened an organic dinner delivery service in Greenwich and then shifted my focus to teaching about healthy eating and writing cookbooks.

Family

I have a spouse, Jaideep, and four daughters. Our oldest daughter, Kieran, is 23; our twins, Anjali and Sophie are 22; and our youngest daughter, Aaliya, is 17.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Age

50

Previous public office, appointive or elective

I served on the Greenwich Representative Town Meeting (RTM) for 2 terms as a representative for District 10.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am seeking this office for two reasons: First, to continue the fiscally responsible and economically sound progress underway in our state that has improved our credit rating, grown jobs, brought businesses to CT, paid down our debt, filled our rainy day fund and delivered balanced budgets for four years running and the largest tax cut in state history, $600+ million.

Secondly, to protect important rights and freedoms, such as women's reproductive rights and equity, voting rights and gun safety laws that are being decided at the state level.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

“Inflation and the economy”

I intend to support tax cuts, such as the $600 million tax cut that was part of this fiscal year’s budget, which included suspending the state tax on gasoline, expanding the earned income tax credit, removing the tax on pensions, as well as tax cuts for small businesses and families. I will support our State’s Earn as You Grow program, which provides tax savings for companies once they create the jobs they promised. And I will support measures that make it easier to develop, train and grow our workforce.

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

We could not be more different on every issue that matters to our district, from fiscal responsibility and economic policy to education, community safety, women's issues, and voting rights, just to name a few. I support balanced budgets, paying down our debt. tax cuts, and job creating programs, while my opponent has consistently against these measures. I support funding our public schools, protecting a woman's right to make her own reproductive choices, gun safety, expanding ballot access, and climate action. My opponent has also voted no on all of these issues, to the detriment of her constituents.

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

Our current State Representative has consistently failed our community in two ways: First, she has voted against our economic interests. In rejecting the state budget, she voted against funding for her constituents that included over $200 million to rebuild Westhill High School, funding for our police departments to purchase body cameras, funding to renovate our Round Hill Firehouse, and many other grants to our community.

Second, she has voted against our values. Throughout COVID, she fought against mask and vaccine requirements to keep us safe. She voted against strengthening our reproductive rights laws. She voted against gun safety legislation. She voted against voting access. She voted against climate action. And she repeatedly voted against our public school students. For these votes she earned an “A” from the NRA, but an “F” from the CT League of Conservation Voters and the Connecticut Education Association, and the lowest grades among the Greenwich delegation from the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, our state's leading business organization.

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

1) Maintaining local zoning control; (2) elimination of estate and gift taxes; (3) protecting reproductive freedom; (4) gun safety; (5) leadership to address local needs such as improved fire coverage in Northwest Greenwich, flooding from the Byram River, expediting the remediation of Western Middle School fields, and providing more childcare opportunities for families.

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

I've served as a community volunteer and advocate for over 20 years, in addition to serving on the Greenwich Representative Town Meeting (RTM) for two terms, work that requires common sense, the ability to collaborate with others to identify and implement solutions that deliver results, and a mind that remains open to others’ viewpoints and ideas.

While on the RTM, I worked alongside district members and fellow representatives to advocate for a fire station in Northwest Greenwich. Our work resulted in a Sense of the Meeting Resolution and subsequent study acknowledging the need for improved fire coverage in Northwest Greenwich.

For a number of years, I volunteered as a patient escort at Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, a role that demands courage and compassion, two traits I believe are incredibly important and sometimes lacking in elected officials these days. And perhaps most important, the work I do is driven by a desire and commitment to make our community better, for everyone.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

"Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." - Dalai Lama

This quote is what inspired me to run for office. We need a leader in Hartford who will work to help their constituents, and make a positive impact on people’s lives.

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

The job of a State Representative is to represent the best interests and values of the district, rather than pushing a personal agenda. For two years, the incumbent has hurt this community through her votes against things that we want and need. I will fight to protect the rights and freedoms that are now under attack around the country; make no-tax-increase balanced budgets the norm rather than the exception; and look for opportunities to lower taxes, such as eliminating the estate and gift taxes. I will act like a leader-advocating for my district and building coalitions so that I can achieve these goals.