WEST HAVEN, 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.
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.
Ray Collins III, 62, of West Haven, is running for election to the House of Representatives in the 117th District, representing Milford, Orange, and West Haven.
Party:
Republican
Campaign website:
Occupation:
Sales consultant
Family:
My wife Mara, one son Raymond the 4th, two daughters, Marina and Raquel, and 7 grandkids
Does anyone in your family work in government?
No
Previous public office:
8 years as a West Haven Board of Ed member, 14 years as a Police commissioner of West Haven, 12 years as the chairman
Why are you seeking this office?
Everywhere I go on the campaign trail, knocking on doors in West Haven, Orange, and Milford, I hear the same things from residents and local businesses. Property taxes keep climbing.
Electric bills are crushing family budgets. Everyday costs are rising faster than paychecks. Seniors tell me they worry about staying in the homes they've lived in for decades. Young families say they may have to leave the communities where they grew up. Small business owners talk about the pressure of higher overhead and the struggle to keep their doors open.
I understand these pressures because I live them too. I pay the same property taxes, the same electric bills, and face the same rising costs. This is not abstract for me, it is personal.
Our current representation has failed to make life more affordable. Connecticut has the 3rd highest taxes in the Nation, the 3rd highest electricity bills, and 4th most costly tax system.
Despite promising property tax relief, Rep. MJ Shannon voted against increasing the property tax credit, which would have provided real help to homeowners and towns. Under his watch, costs have continued to rise and local control has been weakened.
I am running to change that. The people of the 117th deserve a representative who hears them, feels the same pressures they do, and will actually fight in Hartford for relief and results.
What do you believe is the No. 1 issue facing Connecticut, and how do you plan to address it?
The number-one issue facing Connecticut is affordability.
Families, seniors, and working people are being squeezed by rising property taxes, high energy costs, and state policies that make it harder to stay in the communities they love.
On the campaign trail, property taxes come up more than any other concern. Bills keep climbing while incomes stay flat. This crisis is driven by unfunded mandates from Hartford and policies that drive up the cost of living across the board.
Connecticut has become unaffordable, unretireable, and unbearable for too many. One-party control has produced these results, and the current representative's voting record has only pushed us further down the wrong road.
My plan is straightforward and focused on results. I will fight to increase the state property tax credit so more money goes directly back into homeowners' pockets. I will work to eliminate or fully fund unfunded mandates so towns are no longer forced to raise local taxes to cover Hartford's requirements. I will work to eliminate the Public Benefits charge on electric bills and repeal the highway-use tax on trucks that gets passed straight to consumers.
These are not radical ideas. They are plain common-sense solutions that put money back in people's pockets to the people who live in West Haven, Orange, and Milford. That is how we begin to solve Connecticut's affordability crisis.
Energy costs have been soaring in Connecticut. What are your plans to help address this issue?
Connecticut has the third-highest electricity rates in the United States, and families and businesses in the 117th District feel it every month. Electric bills routinely sting and these high costs hit working households and Main Street businesses hardest.
A major driver is the Public Benefits Charge, a collection of more than 50 government programs hidden on our bills. It averages 15-20% of a typical bill and totals roughly $1 billion per year statewide. Other mandates and policies, including the Renewable Portfolio Standard, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, above-market long-term energy contracts, and special subsidies, add hundreds of millions more and push prices even higher.
I hear about these crushing bills constantly on the campaign trail from residents and local businesses. I understand the pressure because I pay the same bills myself. Our current representation has failed to deliver real relief and has supported measures that risk driving energy and fuel prices higher still.
My plan starts with eliminating the Public Benefits Charge. We should end or sunset most of these programs and move any truly necessary ones into the transparent state budget process instead of burying them on ratepayers' bills. I will also fight to remove other hidden costs and mandates that inflate electricity prices, oppose new fees that raise heating oil, gasoline, or power costs, and push back against policies that force ratepayers to subsidize special interests. We also need to expand reliable, affordable supply and protect consumers from bad long-term contracts.
Energy affordability is not a side issue, it is central to whether families can stay in their homes and businesses can survive. In Hartford I will be a consistent voice for lower bills and against the policies that keep treating Connecticut ratepayers as an unlimited source of funding. Practical relief that puts money back in people's pockets is what this district needs.
Affordability has been a major topic across the country and here in Connecticut. How do you plan to address this issue?
Connecticut families and businesses are paying too much, and they are getting less for it. The overall burden is driving people and employers to look elsewhere. Property taxes keep rising, electric bills remain among the highest in the country, and working families are left asking how they are supposed to keep up.
I understand these pressures because I live them. I pay the same taxes and face the same rising costs every month. This is personal, not theoretical.
Our current representation has failed to deliver the relief that was promised. Despite talk of helping homeowners, votes against meaningful property tax credit increases left families without the help they needed while costs continued to climb.
Real affordability starts with putting money back in people's pockets. I support the largest possible middle-class tax relief, including meaningful reductions in income tax rates that can deliver more than $2,500 a year for the average family. I will fight to increase the state property tax credit and end the unfunded mandates that force towns to keep raising local property taxes. I will work to eliminate the Public Benefits Charge that adds hundreds of millions to electric bills.
We can pay for real relief by cutting wasteful spending, reducing borrowing, and making government live within its means-not by reaching deeper into taxpayers' pockets. These are practical steps that make Connecticut more affordable so families can stay and businesses can grow. That is the change the 117th district needs
What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
My record of public service and community involvement demonstrates that I am prepared to represent the 117th District effectively. I served as Chairman of the West Haven Police Commission, where I focused on public safety and the needs of residents. I also served as Vice Chair of the Emergency Response Services Commission. These roles required practical leadership, attention to detail, and a commitment to protecting the people of our community.
In addition, I spent eight years on the West Haven Board of Education. That experience gave me firsthand insight into the challenges facing our schools and the importance of delivering a quality education for every child.
Beyond official positions, I was a longtime youth sports coach, investing countless hours in the next generation, and I serve as a Trustee at the West Haven City Point Yacht Club. I am also a proud union shop steward at Brescome Barton Distributing, so I understand the concerns of working people from the inside.
I am a lifelong resident of the 117th District. I live in the West Shore section of West Haven with my wife Mara. I am the proud father of three children and grandfather of seven. My father represented this district for two decades, and I am committed to continuing that legacy of dedicated service.
These experiences, public safety leadership, education oversight, union representation, coaching, and deep community roots, have prepared me to be a strong, practical advocate who prioritizes the real needs of families over political agendas. I know this district, I live its challenges, and I am ready to fight for results in Hartford.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
I was born in the 117th district, raised in this district, and raised my family in this district, and it would be an honor to represent this district in Hartford
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
West Haven Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.