Patch Candidate Profile: Eric Paradis​, Newtown Legislative Council

NEWTOWN, CT — The 2023 municipal election is heating up in Newtown and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Newtown Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Eric Paradis, 55, is running for election to the Newtown Legislative Council, representing District 2, as a Democrat.

Education.

B.A. Liberal Studies – Southern CT State University Masters Degree in Social Work, focus on Administration and Planning – San Francisco State University Masters Degree in Special Education – SFSU Advanced Credentials – Educational Leadership, Sacred Heart University

What is your occupation?

Special Education Administration - 15 years in public schools

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

Married with two daughters who graduated from Newtown High School, our eldest graduate from Pitzer College and our youngest attends Skidmore College.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

None

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

None

Why are you seeking this office?

I am running to give Newtowners options on their ballots this fall. I want to provide our voters with a different voice. I have not served in elected office and while I have been working behind the scenes these last few years, I wanted to step up to run for the Legislative Council to ensure that we offered voters choices for their ballot. My goals are to explore how we can enable working families to fully participate in our home, consider how decisions that the council makes impact all of our citizens as well as our environment.

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

The Legislative Council does not seem to publicly consider or discuss the consequences of its actions on all of our residents. Working families are struggling to balance their lives here, young people have very limited opportunity here to start their careers and adult lives. Diversity is ignored when it is not being threatened with exclusion.

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

I earned a master's degree in Social Work with a focus on public policy and program administration. I know how to connect budgets to policy and improving outcomes for people.

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

I like to think that folks have the best interests of the town in mind. I worry that national issues have blinded people to being able to put the needs of the town and its working families at the center of the discussion.

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

I think we need to ensure the LC considers the impact of its decisions on the lives of our working families and communities who have largely been ignored or excluded.

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

I have created and run many programs for students on tight budgets and scant resources. I have worked as a team to create new programs and initiatives that continue to help people improve themselves. I also coached travel soccer for years here in Newtown. If I could get a group of pre-teens moving in the same direction, I can help the Council do the same.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Always listen to others before speaking. Reflect on what you hear.