CT Candidate Profile: Joe Courtney For 2nd Congressional District

VERNON, 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.

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

Democratic candidate Joe Courtney, a Vernon resident, is running for re-election for the 2nd Congressional District. The district covers the eastern portion of the state.

Campaign website

Education

I’m a 1975 graduate of Tufts University in Boston, and I earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1978.

Occupation

Proudly serving as Representative for Connecticut’s Second Congressional District.

Family

My family is the greatest part of my life. My wife Audrey and I live in Vernon, and we have two children: Bobby and Lizzy. We are very blessed to have extended family throughout Connecticut and New England.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Age

I’ll be 69 years old on Election Day.

Previous public office, appointive or elective

Yes—prior to serving as eastern Connecticut’s Representative in Congress, I was elected to represent my hometown of Vernon in the Connecticut General Assembly as a State Representative. I was proud to be recognized back then in a poll ran by Connecticut Magazine as the “Most Conscientious” and as the “Democrat Most Admired by Republicans” in the CT State Legislature.

Why are you seeking this office?

I am honored to represent the people of eastern Connecticut in Congress, and I am running for re-election to ensure that this region has the support it. Over the last two years, we’ve been able to get some important things done for the district - winning support for a new train station in Enfield, new resources for homeowners impacted by crumbling foundations, expanding help to veterans suffering from toxic exposure, and boosting job training for Electric Boat and its suppliers to fill hundreds of job openings resulting from increased submarine production I have secured. None of this happens overnight or on autopilot - it takes a focused effort and experience, both of which I have demonstrated in my service on behalf of this district. Even in the midst of the increasingly partisan and acrimonious environment in Congress, I am eager to return for another two years of working as hard as I can to make sure this district receives the support and attention it deserves.

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

The economy. My “North Star” has always been creating good-paying and lasting jobs that grow our region’s economy - that is the best protection for families and communities during good times and bad. My bipartisan work as Chairman of the Seapower Subcommittee is critical to ensuring that the expanded submarine production underway today and fueling economic growth across the district is sustained as critical budget decisions are made. And to meet the needs of other manufacturing, health care, and clean energy opportunities, I’m working to update federal job training programs to help connect people in our region with jobs and opportunities that will be the foundation of our economy for the coming decades.

I also helped pass critical cost-saving healthcare reforms into law in August. Thanks to that new law, 17,000 families in our region are going to lower health insurance premiums, and 120,000 people on Medicare will see a $35 price cap on insulin along with a $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs starting in 2023. This comes at the same time that seniors will see an 8.7% increase in Social Security benefits and reductions in their Medicare Part B costs that I led the charge to secure.

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

The most important difference is my emphasis on getting meaningful results for eastern Connecticut on a bipartisan basis. I’m proud to be rated as both the most bipartisan and most effective member of the Connecticut delegation by independent, non-partisan organizations. I’ve built a record of working with both sides to get things done for this district, and feel strongly that this is what eastern Connecticut voters expect and deserve from their representative in Congress.

In contrast, my opponent’s record as a state legislator shows him voting in the extreme against widely supported, strongly bipartisan measures that address important issues for the region. For example, he opposed bipartisan measures to provide much-needed help for eastern Connecticut homeowners with crumbling foundations. He was just one of eight to oppose Jennifer’s Law, a new law that strengthened protections for victims of domestic violence, and was just one of three to oppose requiring insurance coverage for 3-D mammograms. And, he was one of a handful of legislators to oppose expanding MUNICIPAL benefits for police officers injured in the line of duty.

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

As the campaign draws to a close, I will remain focused on sharing my record of getting things done for eastern Connecticut and supporting the growth of jobs and our economy. I am also emphasizing what is at stake in this election. There are many important issues that the next congress will face, including the future of Medicare and Social Security, preserving a woman’s right to make private healthcare decisions, and continuing the growth of our submarine industry. I believe I am the right person to represent the interest of this district as we face these debates, regardless of which political party is in power next year.

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

I am proud that voters can see the impact of the work that I do in every corner of the district. Whether it's supporting smart infrastructure like the new training station in Enfield, ensuring that the farmers and agriculture sector of the “Quiet Corner” get the support they need, getting help to address the crumbling foundations crisis, expanding submarine shipbuilding as Chairman of the Seapower Subcommittee that's fueling historic job growth in the region or working to get towns and communities the help they need for their schools and first responders, I and my staff work every day to make a difference for our constituents. That’s what I’ve done since my first day in this position, and what I would continue to do if given the honor of serving for another two years.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Be yourself.

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

I am the same person today who was voted “The Democrat most admired by Republicans” when I represented my hometown of Vernon as a member of the Connecticut General Assembly. I know the people of eastern Connecticut expect their Congressman to work as hard as they do, and not waste time on “Politics as a Performance Art”—people want someone who’s focused on the job of producing real results. Whether its good jobs, new infrastructure projects like the new train station in Enfield, the new National Guard Facility in Putnam, or the new rail bridge in Old Saybrook, these are happening as a result of my bipartisan work in Washington and here at home with people in our communities. I am honored to represent eastern Connecticut, and I’ll never stop approaching the work in the same bipartisan way that people have come to know me for.