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Political newcomer challenging Bethel State Rep. seeking 3rd term

Republican Jenn Lewis is seeking to unseat Democratic incumbent Raghib Allie-Brennan in the 2nd District of Bethel.  Due to redistricting, the seat represents larger portions of Bethel and Danbury, but no longer includes parts of Newtown and Redding. Lewis, a former educator and current small business owner, decided to run to advocate for the community.  She says being a parent and homeowner are also important voices to be heard in Hartford.  The biggest issue she sees is affordability.  She is also concerned about crime in the community, including recent property crimes such as smash and grab robberies.  Lewis says Connecticut is collecting a lot of taxes from residents and she wants to review the ones that cost more to collect than they bring in in revenue.  Lewis also wants to look at why energy costs are so high.  She says the environment is important, but it comes down to affordability.  Lewis isn't looking to change Connecticut gun laws, but when it comes to public safety, she wants officers to be able to do their job and would review the Police Accountability Bill.  She says there were some good aspects to the measure, but some pieces took away from police morale.  Lewis says the fallout of the pandemic is something that will be around for a long time.  She believes more resources are needed to help students recover from the isolation, learning loss and other mental health issues.  She says for every mandate that comes down that is unfunded, it takes away from the dollars the schools need for other things.  Lewis says there's not a one-size fits all solution for education and wants to watch what the state is requiring from the schools.

 

Allie-Brennan is seeking a 3rd term.  He served on the legislature’s Energy and Technology, Public Safety and Security, and General Law committees. During his previous term, Allie-Brennan held a number of community roundtable events regarding the opioid crisis and worked to foster communication between law enforcement, community leaders and organizations.  During the 2022 session, he introduced bills concerning Children's Mental Health, suspending the gas tax, data privacy and online monitoring, and the Connecticut Clean Air Act among others.

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