Candidate Profile: John-Michael Parker, District 101

CONNECTICUT — The 2020 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 presidential election, but every state representative and senate seat is up for grabs.

All five of Connecticut's congressional seats 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 with a 91 to 60 lead over Republicans in the House and a 22 to 14 lead in the Senate.

Connecticut Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns.

John-Michael Parker, a Madison resident is running for House of Representatives District 101.

Age: 32

Party affiliation: Democratic Party
Independent Party, Working Families Party

Family: My wife, Joyce Gendler, is an Expressive Arts Therapist at Fellowship Place in New Haven, serving adults with severe mental health challenges. My mother, Clara Parker, is a Madison resident and a school nurse. My father, Dr. Michael Parker, passed away last year after leading an internal medicine practice in East Haven for 35 years. My sister Caitlin is an Assistant District Attorney in Yorktown, my brother Luke works in marketing at BMW of North America, and my ABC brother, Sam Edandison, is a product manager at Danaher.

Occupation: 4th Grade Teacher - 1 Year
In-school nonprofit provider (“Dream Director”) - 3 years
Non-profit executive with The Future Project - 3 years
Executive Director of Arts for Learning CT - 2 years (current)

Previous elected experience: Madison Youth and Family Services Board (appointed)
Academy Community Center Design Committee (appointed)

Family members in government:No.

Campaign website: www.jmp4ct.com

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

The single most pressing issue facing our state is the COVID-19 pandemic: protecting our people and our economy now—and rebuilding afterward.

To do this, I believe we must maintain our laser focus on public health guidelines with safe reopening, while investing in and demanding capacity for testing, contact tracing, and, one day soon (we hope!), vaccine distribution. We must continue to advocate for state and federal assistance to individuals and businesses and organizations, and ensure that the people facing the greatest challenges in our economy today are at the center of the conversation. And as we look to the future, we must take this opportunity to rebuild our economy in a way that is more equitable and efficient, capturing this unique moment of an influx of people into our state to put more folks on the path toward happy, healthy, full, sustainable lives in Connecticut.

When the pandemic broke out, we saw the immediate shuttering of our economy in an ultimately successful attempt to stop the spread of the virus. And while economic productivity in many local sectors fell off a cliff, we immediately saw robust and bold relief efforts—many from federal programs—that would help us through the challenging time. While states like CT are already facing down massive budget shortfalls, we must demand federal coronavirus relief packages that put money into state and local governments and into the pockets of everyday people who not only need the support, but will inject that money back into the economy. And on the verge of an historic election, it is worth saying that we all—candidates included—should be advocating for the federal leaders who we believe will take these steps and competently guide our country through the many challenging months (and years) we still face. It’s why I’ll be voting for Joe Biden in November.

In CT, we must encourage collaboration and cooperation among municipal and statewide leaders so that we can continue a regional approach that is based in science and safety. We should be proud of CT’s health and strength given our competent response to COVID-19; we should be thankful for the presence and protection of our Rainy Day Fund reserves that have put us in one of the strongest positions to sustain the pandemic; and we should continue to follow the guidance of experts, from public health to the economy, knowing that, in the long-term, our safety and economic stability are inextricably linked.

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

I’m not running with just one political party: I’ve been endorsed by the CT Independent Party and the Working Families Party, and am proud to be on those lines, too, on the ballot this year.
I’ve also earned the singular endorsement of Planned Parenthood Votes CT, and am the only candidate in this race to have earned the 2020 Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate Distinction and to have taken The Arc Candidate Pledge in support of the I/DD community, promising to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities, stabilize the community non-profit system, and ensure the highest standards of supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

I support CT’s Paid Family and Medical Leave and a living minimum wage; and, long before the unprecedented situation brought on by COVID-19, no-excuse absentee voting and expanded voter access.

Most importantly, I’m new to politics, and will bring a fresh perspective—backed by deep experience in the education and non-profit sectors—to the entrenched challenges that our legislators haven’t gotten right for at least the last decade.

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

The job of State Representative is about finding creative and effective solutions to big challenges; making tough decisions that require courage, values, and critical thinking; and taking on local, everyday issues to make life better for people in the district. Throughout my career I’ve done all three, and am eager to use these experiences to better serve my community in the legislature.

I began my career as a teacher, and after experiencing the systemic challenges facing students and educators from inside a classroom, I helped start a national non-profit to bring new resources and a new approach to social and emotional learning into high schools across the country. I went on to serve as VP of Development for The Future Project, helping raise $16M annually for our operation.
Currently, I serve as the Executive Director of Arts for Learning CT, the state’s largest provider of arts in education programming, reaching more than 175,000 students across CT annually. I have helped our organization—and our employees—weather the storm of COVID-19 by securing emergency relief funding, launching a major new strategic initiative, making changes in our operating structure, and standing by our people; ultimately, I’ve helped put our non-profit on a path to fiscal sustainability and expanded impact.

And in my hometown of Madison, I’ve served on local boards and commissions and volunteered with a number of organizations making positive change in my community—from the ABC mentors program to the Madison Diversity and Inclusion Committee. I feel so grateful for the opportunities I was given growing up in this district, and I want to ensure the same for my family—and all of my neighbors.

Do you believe Connecticut needs reform when it comes to electric utility oversight? What steps, if any should be taken?

Yes. The challenges we saw after Hurricane Isaias—with thousands of families without power, businesses and organizations facing an additional burden, and a slow response marked by insufficient communication and a lack of accountability—highlight the problems we must solve.
In the short term we need to freeze electric rates and keep companies from continuing to run up bills for hardworking citizens and taxpayers, and we need PURA to craft new performance-based regulations that do what so many other sectors of our economy do: tie market forces and actual consumer service to compensation and overall operations. Ultimately, we need to ensure that PURA is composed of qualified, non-partisan professionals who can take on the challenges of regulating enormously powerful companies that haven’t been designed to serve the people of CT, but rather to increase the bottom line of their shareholders.

What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses?

The most important thing that state government can do is to continue providing leadership and guidance that is based in science and public health, with recommendations and regulations tied to actual metrics, and the ability to be flexible and change course if deemed necessary by the experts. Local businesses—as well as schools, non-profits, and working families—need to be able to plan for what’s next, and to have the time to put in place operations and safety strategies to protect the health of their employees and clients as we continue to reopen. We need to continue depoliticizing the coronavirus response, and have the courage to follow the public health experts that have, so far, helped CT do such a great job.

We have already found ways to support local business—both through virtual and e-commerce functions as well as safe and socially-distanced in-person business—and we must continue to demonstrate and enforce these guidelines. This starts with wearing a mask and maintaining six feet of distance and encouraging safe activities. There are ways to reopen safely: we have seen them right here in Madison and Durham and across the state—and we should keep them up and continue moving through the phased reopening plan. One of the worst things we can do is to move too quickly and create false expectations for the business owners and leaders who might then have the rug pulled out from under them—again.

And ultimately, we need to continue advocating for federal support of initiatives like the Paycheck Protection Program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loans, and expansive coronavirus relief to states and local governments. Thankfully, some of our legislators have worked to protect the substantial reserves in our Rainy Day Fund that have helped us bear the brunt of COVID-19; looking forward, we must continue to act in a way that is responsible in the short-term, and plans for the incredibly challenging future ahead.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

My vision for CT is a statewide community where we take care of people, prepare them to succeed, and build communities where they can thrive. We must ensure folks are healthy, safe, and well-supported; we must invest in their future through quality education and good jobs; and we must create equitable and sustainable systems and civic institutions where they have a fair shot at building and living a healthy, happy, and fulfilled life.

While issues like increased and affordable access to healthcare, gun safety, equitable and effective K-12 education with attainable higher education, pay equity and full reproductive rights for women, small business support and fiscal responsibility in the face of looming debt, environmental protection, senior services, and racial equity, LGBTQia+ rights, and social justice are among the issues most important to me—they are, of course, all amplified and distorted by the singular and extraordinary challenged presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The most important thing we can do now is to keep people safe from the virus and move toward a permanent solution (i.e. a vaccine with full public engagement), while also taking smart steps to support our economy and the people and institutions suffering from its closure.
A full list of issues and ideas can be found at my website: www.jmp4ct.com/issues-and-idea...

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

In 2018, in the face of growing social and economic challenges and widening political divides, I felt called to serve, and stepped up to run for State Representative in the 101st. I had the immense privilege of working alongside committed volunteers, campaign leaders, and other community members in search of change. We ran an inspired, passionate, creative campaign that went into an unprecedented recount—and we ended up coming just 18 votes short.

I was so proud of that race, and grateful for the experience and the support of my community. And in these last two years, as I’ve further laid my roots in our district—marrying the love of my life, buying our first home, taking on new community service positions—I’ve been reminded time and again of the widespread desire for change and hope for a brighter future ahead, and that this change isn’t just needed, it is, indeed, possible. We’re all tired of the divisive, finger-pointing, partisan politics of the past, and eager for something new. I am deeply thankful to our community for its thoughtful and careful consideration of this campaign, and I look forward to continuing to serve my community, whatever happens in the coming weeks.