Candidate Profile: Blake Consentino, 111th State House District

RIDGEFIELD, CT — The 2026 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 Connecticut gubernatorial 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.

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There are 151 seats in the state House of Representatives and 36 in the state Senate. Democrats currently hold majorities in both chambers.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Blake Consentino, 19, of Ridgefield, is running for election to the House of Representatives in the 111th District, representing parts of the town.

Party: R

Occupation: Public Policy Fellow

Family: I live with and am the caretaker of my grandmother, Sandra Consentino.

Does anyone in your family work in government? My mother was on the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Board here in Ridgefield.

Previous public office: Elected as a Student Senator at Ridgefield High School, and Hampden-Sydney College (#1 Most Active Student Government in the Nation per The Princeton Review)

Why are you seeking this office? I'm a third generation Ridgefielder. My family have been in the same home for years, raising generation after generation. The same home that I plan on one day raising my family in. Unfortunately our town is changing, and not for the better. Reckless overdevelopment from corporate out of state developers is being encouraged by state laws like 8-30g, tearing down our forests, wetlands, mountains, and farmland. While an ever increasing cost of living is simultaneously making life unaffordable. Despite this, year after year the people of Ridgefield choose a harder life that keeps them rooted to where they grew up and made a life for themselves, rather than fleeing to greener economic pastures. That's because to them, their house is more than a monetary asset to be bought and sold at a profit, it's their home. We face problems from decades of irresponsible policy from our state government, yet it doesn't have to be this way. That's why I'm running. Ridgefield deserves someone in Hartford who's fighting to keep it Ridgefield.

What do you believe is the No. 1 issue facing Connecticut, and how do you plan to address it? Connecticut's number one issue is simple: people can't afford to stay in their home. We have some of the highest property taxes, income taxes, and energy costs in the nation. But Hartford's response has been to add more spending, more mandates, and more regulation. For every dollar that Ridgefield sends to Hartford (via taxes) we only receive four cents back. Yet no elected official in town is willing to speak out for the forgotten Ridgefielder. On top of this, our sons and daughters are leaving. Retirees are leaving. Families who have been here for generations are being priced out of the state their parents built. Fixing the problem starts with fiscal discipline, no net tax increases, restraining our spending, and a government that lives within its means the way Connecticut families have to. It means reforming 8-30g so towns like Ridgefield aren't held hostage by out of state developers. And it means an energy policy that keeps costs down instead of forcing ratepayers to subsidize an unreliable grid. People are not leaving Connecticut because they want to. They are leaving because they feel like they have no choice. My job in Hartford is to give them one.

Energy costs have been soaring in Connecticut. What are your plans to help address this issue? We can't have a discussion about our rising energy costs without first looking at why they are so high. Our approach to fixing this problem must address multiple facets. First, we need to tackle the inadequacies in energy transportation infrastructure. When energy production facilities across the U.S. are lying dormant with no proper lines to take energy from one part of the country to another, the solution becomes obvious, permitting reform. We must also end programs like the public benefits charge which force ratepayers to front Hartford's various pet projects. Investment in emerging alternative energy technology is also a necessity for addressing this problem. By investing in things such as hydrogen, nuclear, etc. we can see a reduction in energy costs across the board. Energy shouldn't be a luxury in Ridgefield. My goal is a Connecticut where families open their electric bill without dreading what's inside.

Affordability has been a major topic across the country and here in Connecticut. How do you plan to address this issue? Unfortunately, affordability isn't just one problem. It's a snowballing culmination of three hitting at the same time. Taxes, housing costs, and energy costs are all squeezing Ridgefield families simultaneously, and Hartford has treated each one as an excuse to spend more rather than reining in our spending.

On taxes: no net tax increases. And we must look seriously at property tax relief for long-term residents who are being priced out of homes they've owned for decades.

On housing: reform 8-30g. The current law strips towns of their zoning authority and hands it to out of state developers. Ridgefield should decide what Ridgefield looks like. End of story. And it most certainly should not be left up to a bureaucrat in Hartford.

On energy: end the hidden charges and subsidies that are buried in our electric bills, and pursue the energy strategy I outlined above.

Affordability is ultimately about whether Connecticut is a place people can build a life. We do not want our residents to just visit or pass through on their way somewhere cheaper. Every vote I cast in Hartford will be measured against that standard.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job? At 19, I've already done things most people twice my age haven't. I've worked on over half a dozen political campaigns for candidates, left, right and center. I also currently work in public policy at the federal level, writing legislation on environmental and conservation issues for congress. This has given me a firsthand understanding of how legislation actually moves.

But beyond the résumé, I've spent my entire life in Ridgefield. I've watched this town change. I've had conversations at the hardware store, at church, at local events, with the people whose lives are directly affected by the decisions made in Hartford. Every person I've spoken to, Democrat, Republican, or Independent all say the same thing, Ridgefield deserves better.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions? I want voters to know that I'm not doing this for a career. I'm doing this because Ridgefield is my home, and I intend to raise my family here. Every decision I make in Hartford will be made with that in mind, because I'll have to live with the consequences just like everyone else. I will never abandon our home.

I also want to be honest about something. I'm 19. Some people will see that as a reason not to vote for me. I'd ask them to consider what 'years of experience' has gotten us. Rising taxes, crumbling infrastructure, and kids leaving the state the moment they graduate. Maybe what Hartford needs isn't more experience. Maybe it needs someone with more at stake.

When you look at your ballot, know that the (R) next to my name doesn't stand for Republican, it stands for Ridgefield. I pride myself on being a voter who takes from all sides of the political spectrum. On my own ballot this November, I will be voting for Democrats, Republicans, and Independents. Because I am not owned by a party or by labels. Nothing about this race is about Washington, it's all about Ridgefield. This seat is not owned by a party, or a political machine, it belongs to all of you.