Patch Candidate Profiles 2022: MD Rahman, 4th Senate District

GLASTONBURY, MANCHESTER, 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.

MD Rahman, a Manchester resident, is running for the Connecticut State Senate in the 4th District.

Campaign website

https://www.mdforsenate.com

Party affiliation

Democratic

Education

College Graduate - Businesses Studies & Accounting - Commilla Govt. Commerce College, Bangladesh

Occupation

Entrepreneur

Family

I live in Manchester with my wife Yelena and our three children, Anushka, Amelia, and Akash.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Age

I will be 47

Previous public office, appointive or elective

I was appointed to the Governor's Hate Crime Advisory Council. I served on the Manchester Charter Revision Commission.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am running for the Connecticut State Senate because I want to be able to help the most amount of people I can, and representing the people of Andover, Glastonbury, Manchester, and Bolton allows me to do just that. When the pandemic hit, I helped the people of Manchester acquire PPE, and I helped open a COVID vaccination clinic through the Bangladesh Bhaban Community Center. Running for this seat is the next step for giving back to a community that has given me so much.

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

Healthcare. Healthcare remains both inaccessible and unaffordable for so many people. I want to bolster efforts like the insulin price cap passed by Democrats recently, and coordinate with our neighboring states of Massachusetts and New York to pass a statewide medicare for all program.

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

The main difference between my opponent and myself is in our goals. My opponent works with anti-vaxxers and those who would make healthcare more expensive for our residents, with special interests invested in making home-ownership, the cornerstone of the american dream, impossible for the next generation, and with the party that isn’t interested in helping working families experiencing hardships because of the economy. I will work to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, help reign in our rising housing costs, and make our economy work for us all. I am on your side.

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

N/A

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

I am focused on protecting reproductive rights, closing loopholes in our gun laws with common sense gun control legislation, and improving our education by providing students with pathways to apprenticeships and vocational training out of high school.

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

When the pandemic hit in 2020, I helped find and distribute PPE to our community, and I opened a vaccination clinic in the Bangledesh Bhaban Community Center that probably vaccinated thousands of Manchester residents and saved lives.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

My parents told me if you work hard and find the right avenue, you can be incredibly successful. I worked hard when I came to this country, and after years of saving I was able to start my own business, and this country has been very good to me.

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

I may not know all the answers, but I am focused on building a large enough coalition and being an accessible representative so our district continues to move in the right direction.