Stratford Councilwoman Announces Candidacy For State Representative

STRATFORD, CT — Stratford Town Councilwoman Kaitlyn Shake announced this week that she is running for State Representative in Stratford’s 120th District in November’s election.

Shake is looking to challenge incumbent Republican Laura Dancho, a former member of the Stratford Town Council. Dancho defeated Democrat Phil Young, a two-term incumbent, in the 2022 general election.

“Stratford residents need a trusted voice in Hartford to get the job done,” Shake said in a statement announcing her candidacy. “In my time inside and out of Stratford Council chambers, I have a proven track record of delivering for our residents, business community, and schools. I look forward to meeting with residents of the 120th district and ensuring their needs are heard and included in the next State Budget.”

Shake was elected to her third term on the council in this past November’s municipal election. Shake, the current Democratic leader on the council, was elected in District 7 after serving her first two terms in District 2 when a controversial redistricting plan pushed her into a new district.

Dancho currently serves on the legislative Environment, Transportation, and Finance, Revenue and Bonding committees in the state house.

“I am honored to represent the hardworking residents of Stratford,” Dancho said in a statement announcing her reelection campaign earlier this year. “I have always acknowledged our diverse community of ideas and will continue to echo resident concerns in Hartford. Moving ahead, my legislative goals are simple: propose and support legislation to secure a more affordable, safe, and sustainable place to call home.”

Dancho’s campaign said she has built a reputation for “supporting bipartisan solutions that promote affordability, safety, and local issues in her first year as representative.”

The campaign also noted that she “helped propose and pass the largest tax cut in Connecticut history as a part of the state budget agreement.”

“She also paved the way for several new laws that include protecting our seniors from financial exploitation (PA 23-161), fully funding Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grants (PA 23-208), improving veteran services (PA 23-34), and growing our firefighter and EMS forces (PA 23-1) while ensuring families of fallen officers receive financial support,” the campaign announcement stated.

Shake’s campaign credited her with working across the aisle and finding solutions.

“When other leaders let us down, Kaitlyn Shake delivered,” Former Stratford Board of Education Chair Andrea Corcoran said in the campaign announcement. “Our local education board was in financial crisis, and the Councilwoman worked across the aisle to get us out of the red. What worries taxpayers, people in the education system, and the business community is that Stratford residents can’t afford an annual budget crisis. We need a voice in Hartford to ensure our needs are met here on the ground. Kaitlyn Shake is the one to get it done.”

Shake will officially kick off her campaign with an event at Two Roads Brewing Company in Stratford on April 28.

For more information, visit the Shake campaign page here, and the Dancho campaign page here.