Candidate Profile: Kaitlyn Shake, 120th State House District

STRATFORD, 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.

Kaitlyn Shake, 42, of Stratford, is running for re-election to the House of Representatives in the 120th District, representing Stratford.

Party:

Democrat

Campaign website:

https://shakeforstaterep.com

Occupation:

Registered Nurse

Family:

My family and I reside in Stratford.

Does anyone in your family work in government?

No.

Previous public office:

I have had the honor and privilege of serving Stratford in the Connecticut General Assembly as the 120th House District State Representative and am currently in my first term. I serve on the Labor & Public Employees, Public Safety & Security, and Human Services legislative committees. Before serving as a State Representative, I served three terms on the Stratford Town Council as the Democrat Minority Leader 2019-2025. During my first two terms on the Town Council, I represented District 2 and was then gerrymandered into District 7. Public Service, like nursing, is a calling for those willing to answer. I believe deeply that we need more working-class people serving at every level of government. I felt prepared and compelled to run for state Rep in 2024 because of my track record on the town council: delivering for my constituents, protecting essential town services and our open spaces. I secured funding for Stratford Public School, major infrastructure projects and public safety initiatives by keeping communication open, being responsive, building bipartisan consensus all while being able to agree to disagree with my colleagues respectfully—bringing civility back to local politics.

Why are you seeking this office?

I'm seeking re-election as State Representative to continue the work I've started in my first term. At this time, it is more essential than ever to have a State Rep who will stand up to the chaos in Washington and protect our privacy and self worth; we are not beholden to greedy corporations.

I have a clear vision for the future: deliver affordable healthcare through a public option, lower energy costs by creating a pathway to municipal ownership of energy infrastructure, strengthen and expand AI guardrails to further protect our privacy and sensitive information, continue to offer tax relief to our seniors by eliminating taxes on their earned retirement and continue standing up for working families by establishing a CT child tax credit.

What do you believe is the No. 1 issue facing Connecticut, and how do you plan to address it?

Connecticut is the fourth oldest state by population. We have a very daunting fiscal cliff with the grey tsunami approaching, while at the same time needing to build the next generation of young professionals by protecting their pursuit of higher education or entering the trades. Who do we want to elect to ensure we can pay for the future? It may feel like a distant dream to those of my generation and younger. Still, there was a time when you could buy a house at a reasonable rate, support a family, and live a decent life without constant fear of being decimated by an unexpected medical bill, a college payment, or a car issue. The minimum wage had its highest buying power in 1968 when a blue collar worker could buy a house, but today's wages have stagnated while CEO's and corporate share holders earnings have skyrocketed. I will not stand for that.

As your State Rep., I will continue to fight for stronger unions and workplace protections to advocate in solidarity for our working families. I will work to fight the massive corporations looking to nickel-and-dime us for all we're worth; I will fight for a system that prioritizes the working families and seniors who BUILT our communities instead of Connecticut's ultra wealthy and beyond who add much to their plenty. Above all, I will continue to strive to represent working people from all walks of life and their interests in the halls of power.

Energy costs have been soaring in Connecticut. What are your plans to help address this issue?

Energy costs in Stratford, and across the state, are outrageously high. There is no reason why Eversource should have DOUBLED its net corporate earnings between 2024 and 2025. AVANGRID, Eversource and the ominous investors need to come to the table and stop paying their top employees millions of dollars to fly first class, and give our struggling families a break. We can't take it anymore. We must give PURA teeth, so it can deny every outrageous rate hikes and create a pathway to municipal ownership of energy infrastructure. In one of the richest states, in the richest country in history, many Stratford residents have struggled to stay warm in the winter. I'm thankful that the legislature created the Federal Emergency Response Fund, which has helped thousands of households across Stratford with their home heating bills as the price of oil has hit an all time high due to the unnecessary war in Iran.

Affordability has been a major topic across the country and here in Connecticut. How do you plan to address this issue?

As I mentioned, affordability won't improve until we address the root causes of the affordability crisis. Connecticut needs to act as a barricade against corporate greed and excess. We need to shift the tax burden away from working and middle-class families and have the wealthiest among us pay their fair share back into the system that enabled them to become rich. We must categorically deny greed and private equity in our essential services: healthcare, energy, housing, and sustenance should not be toys for executives to make a profit, but instead recognized as the requirements for a good, decent life. Red tape and regulations shouldn't target the small business owner just getting by, but the massive multi-billion-dollar private equity firms taking single-family homes right under our noses and trying to rent them back at exorbitant rates.

To be clear, affordability isn't a Republican or Democratic issue. It's an issue that impacts all of us. I'm focused on working across party lines to lower costs, support working families, and deliver real relief for Stratford. People over politics. Always.

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

I'm happy to point to the record of what I've done in my first term. I'm most proud that I wrote a major section of HB 5003 and helped pass it, a generational, sweeping labor reform bill that put power and financial protections back in the hands of our teachers, healthcare workers, construction workers, firefighters, police officers, municipal workers and anyone else working for a living.

During my first two years, I also helped expand the firefighters' cancer relief fund, supported benefits for striking workers, backed harsher punishments for street takeovers, increased tax exemptions for veterans, military families and homeowners through the Homestead Act. I helped approve over $160 million dollars in supplemental public school funding this year, passed tax breaks for small businesses, delivered $100,000 for Sterling Community Centers Food Pantry, $100,000 to Stratford Veterans Museum. Most importantly I have brought almost 100 million dollars in state funding back to Stratford in my first term that keeps our essential town services funded, roads paved and community safe.

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

I am backed by the hardworking people of Stratford and Connecticut workers who feel the strain of inflation, higher gas prices, energy costs, tariffs, increasing grocery bills, and healthcare costs. Now is the time to elect and re-elect people who will ensure that our values are exemplified in the State budget and policies we pass that become law. That is my promise, Leadership you can trust to get the job done. I hope to earn your support and your VOTE by Election Day, Tuesday November 3rd,

Lastly, I am happy to share that more than 30 Connecticut unions, advocacy groups, and non-profits have endorsed and/or publicly supported my re-election campaign. They include:

Connecticut AFL-CIO

AFT-CT

CEA Honor Roll

UPFFA (Uniformed Professional Firefighters of CT)

CT State Building Trades

Fairfield County Building Trades

CSEA SEIU Local 2001

Connecticut Citizens Action Group

IBEW Local 488

Stratford Firefighters IAFF Local 998

Carpenters Local 326

IUOE 478

AFSCME Council 4

SEIU 1199 New England

CT Conservation League of Voters

CT Working Families Party

32BJ

Association of Retired Teachers of CT (ARTCT)

Reproductive Equity Now

Planned Parenthood Votes Connecticut

CWA Local 1298

Teamsters Local 1150

Connecticut Teamsters

Moms Demand Action Candidate of Distinction

Police Officers Association of Connecticut

CT Young Democrats

CT College Democrats

SEIU STATE COUNCIL CT

4C's (Congress of CT Community Colleges)

Connecticut Against Gun Violence

CSU-AAUP

Early Voting in Stratford continues now through November 1st at the Baldwin Center 10AM-6PM.

On Tuesday Oct 27th and Thursday October 29th extended early voting hours will occur from 8AM -8PM.

If you don't want to participate in Early Voting, you can vote at your regular polling location on Tuesday November 3 from 6AM - 8PM.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve and represent the 120th House District and hope to earn your vote in this important election so I can continue being our community's voice in Hartford as your State Representative.

See also: Candidate Profile: Troy Gargiulo, 120th State House District