State Representative District 18

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Jillian Gilchrest

9 CTNewsJunkie Reader Endorsements

Party: Democrat

CEP Status: participating

Website:

Age: 40

Marital Status:

Current Residence: West Hartford

Current Job: State Representative, Adjunct Faculty

Previous Job: Director of Health Professional Outreach, CCADV

Previous Job: Senior Policy Director, Permanent Commission on the Status of Women

Education: MSW, University of Connecticut

What action(s) will you take to reduce out-of-pocket drug costs and reduce the impact of the cost of prescription drugs on taxpayers and insurance premiums?

I will work with my colleagues on legislation to cap drug costs, like we did with insulin, and address outrageous insurance practices, like we did with co-pay accumulators.

In these inflationary times, what will you do to help ensure that Connecticut’s middle-income retirees on fixed incomes are able to keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets?

I will work with my colleagues to enact policies to provide Connecticuts middle-income retirees with additional relief. I'm proud of the work we did this past session to eliminate pension and annuity taxes for retirees making less than $75K/year and to increase to the state income tax credit for property owners.

How do you plan to address the growing long-term care workforce crisis in the state?

I think the state needs to invest more in our long-term care system, both in terms of workforce and infrastructure.

Gas prices are higher than ever, which is difficult for older adults on fixed incomes. Yet, alternatives to cars in Connecticut are limited. What will you do to help older adults access other forms of transportation?

I will continue working with my colleagues to invest in alternative modes of transportation.

What are the two most urgent problems facing Connecticut within the context of climate change and the environment, and what will you propose to solve them?

(1) Reduce Waste and Incineration- Our state is faced with waste management issues. I am interested in seeing how we can incentivize towns to implement composting and pay as you throw programs. I also think we should hold producers of packaging more accountable through an Extended Producer Responsibility law. (2) Further reduce PFAS.

How can Connecticut's education systems create better outcomes for students in low-income communities?

Connecticut should invest more in our public education system, in particular teacher pay and support staff & services.

Pedestrian deaths spiked a few years ago and remain high, and it's fairly clear that driver behavior, such as distracted driving, is only getting worse despite significant efforts by law enforcement to stop it. How can Connecticut's streets be made safe for pedestrians and bicyclists?

We might want to consider a public awareness campaign and think broadly about the various partners and communities we engage in speaking out about the importance of pedestrian & bicycle safety and distracted driving.

How should the state and its school districts deal with COVID-19 going forward?

As we have seen with COVID-19, things can change based on a variant so I think the state and school districts should remain alert. I think that people should continue to be offered accessible ways to obtain the COVID vaccine and boosters and that masks should be readily available.

What should be done on the state level to further address Connecticut's lack of affordable housing? Do you support, for example, mandating or incentivizing towns and cities to alter their zoning codes to be friendlier to affordable housing?

I do support mandating and/or incentivizing towns and cities to alter their zoning codes to be friendlier to affordable housing.

What can be done to prevent excessive consolidation of the healthcare industry and the loss of services – or, in some cases, the loss of small hospitals themselves – in the state's rural areas?

I am working with some of my colleagues to address this problematic issue, in particular as it relates to women's reproductive healthcare. We are looking at licensing of hospitals and the CON process, among others, as possible solutions.

Do you think the state's two major electric utilities (Eversource and United Illuminating) are sufficiently regulated? If not, what measures would you take to ensure that consumers are protected to the greatest extent possible against prolonged loss of services and unfair rate increases?

The legislature has enacted some policies to address these issues but should continue to improve upon that legislation. I think that we needs to remain vigilant, meeting with and questioning the state's two electric utilities, to ensure that there are not prolonged loss of services and unfair rate increases.

What is your position on whether Connecticut should open its election primaries to unaffiliated voters?

The majority of voters in Connecticut are unaffiliated. I think Connecticut should open its election primaries to unaffiliated voters to increase voter participation.

Mary Fay

3 CTNewsJunkie Reader Endorsements

Party: Republican

CEP Status:

Website:

Age: 56

Marital Status: Married

Current Residence: West Hartford

Current Job:

Previous Job: Senior Executive

Education: MBA Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, BS Skidmore College