Green Party Congressional Candidate Qualifies For November Ballot

GUILFORD, CT — Green Party candidate Justin Paglino of Guilford qualified to enter the Congressional race for Connecticut’s 3rd district, challenging 30-year incumbent Rep. Rosa DeLauro as the Green Party’s endorsed candidate, the Secretary of State’s office confirmed Aug. 26.

Paglino collected 2680 petition signatures, 42 percent more than required by the Secretary of State, he said in a media release. Of these, 2198 have been validated as registered voters and submitted to the state, per town clerks’ office communications, exceeding the number required by some 300 signatures, he said.

Paglino said that his "progressive" campaign issues include Medicare for all, ranked-choice voting, the Green New Deal including a ban on fracking and reduced military spending. Paglino said that ranked choice voting is a "voting reform that eliminates the 'spoiler effect' for third-party or independent candidates. It was recently adopted in Maine by popular referendum."

"None of the positions listed above are endorsed or supported by DeLauro," he said.

“I’m grateful to my campaign team, who worked very hard for this outcome," Paglino said. "It’s very exciting to know that now, voters in our district will have the real and tangible opportunity to pick up their ballot and vote for Medicare for All, a policy that two-thirds of Americans and nine out of 10 Democrats support."

Paglino is a first-time candidate who earned an M.D. from Brown University, a Ph.D. from Yale University, and worked for 15 years as a research virologist. He said he "hopes to bring a science-based approach to national policy matters that affect us all."