Westport Election: Jonathan Philip Steinberg For First Selectman

WESTPORT, CT — Election Day is approaching fast, and a number of key positions in town will be on the ballot.

To help readers make an informed decision on Nov. 2, Patch has reached out to local candidates to share their views on a few topics.

Democrat Jonathan Philip Steinberg, 65, is running for First Selectman in Westport.

Occupation: State Legislator

Family: Jonathan and Nancy are proud of our three daughters: Rachel, Margot, and Charlotte, all graduates of Westport's world-class schools. Mother, Sybil, lectures on the Best Books of the Year at the Library twice annually, Father, Harold, founded Westport's largest internal medicine practice, taking care of generations of Westporters.

Experience: State Representative

Family in government: Just me!

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

Traffic, traffic, traffic. I have a strong relationship with CT’s DOT Commissioner and it’s high time that the town pushed for more help. We'll get DOT to finally tackle the problematic intersections, like Riverside Avenue at the Downtown bridge and the Weston/Easton/Main/Exit 42 mess, install smart traffic lights with cameras to shift traffic flow in real time, and so we can get where we’re going faster, improve crosswalks and bike lanes to assure public safety and outwit WAZE by implementing speed zones on bypass roads so it doesn't pay to detour off I-95. We’re committed to doing something about this growing crisis.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

Candice and I bring years of actual accomplishment and a get-results approach to governing. As Chair of the Legislature's Public Health Committee, I worked collaboratively with the governor and the Dept. of Public Health to address the pandemic’s healthcare impacts and I’ve spearheaded over 100 bills into law, building consensus by working across the aisle. I've been a leader in imposing fiscal accountability, resulting in a $3.5 billion Rainy Day Fund and paying down longstanding pension debt, the state’s longstanding problem.

Westport needs serious leaders who are willing to tackle the tough issues and fix them. Budget responsibility is more than a steady mill rate, and it’s investing in the right priorities and justifying every tax dollar spent.

Accomplishments:

My round-the-clock efforts during the pandemic; passage of big bills like eliminating the religious exemption for children's vaccines and Tobacco 21 and addressing teen vaping, a host of energy and environmental laws like holding Eversource accountable after storms and eliminating plastic bags and PFAs, working on bipartisan budget policy as a leader of the Moderates Caucus.

Other issues:

Making downtown Westport better than ever by embracing an underutilized asset: the river. Making Jesup Green a destination on the river (playground, impromptu performance space), linking river parks and walkways, promoting boat traffic linking downtown with Saugatuck and a huge variety of multigenerational activities downtown.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I've been serving Westport for eighteen years: seven years on the RTM and eleven in the legislature. I’ve a 20+ year managerial career in healthcare marketing, from Fortune 100 companies like Bristol-Myers and Revlon, to running marketing for Mount Sinai Hospital, to serving as Senior Vice President of a large senior care organization.

I know Westport well, having grown up here and raised my family, and I'm passionate about tackling the tough issues to make our community better for everyone. Westporters deserve a First Selectman who will work 24/7 on their behalf and has the business and government experience and statewide connections to get things done.