Applying The Strength Of A Working Mom To Tackle State’s Challenges

Monica Tujak Brill

As she has done for more than 30 years, Monica Tujak Brill rises before dawn to begin her workday. 

Years ago that included serving as lead auditor for the Guggenheim Museum, and later as controller of The Frick Collection. 

When marriage, motherhood and eventual divorce came along, Monica’s day began getting three daughters up, fed, out to school, driving them to after school programs, including more than a decade of Color Guard practices and national competitions. 

Like so many single Moms, Monica also held down a full-time job while running the household.

I believe that angels give single Moms extra strength to accomplish all that they do, for their workloads are never ending and the challenges overwhelming. 

It’s this inner strength that helped Monica and her daughters overcome struggle and flourish, as each has become a success story in their own right.

As Monica’s husband, I’ve come to realize there’s nothing she and the girls can’t achieve. Yet, I never imagined that Monica would run for state Senate. While she is brilliant and hardworking, politics was just not part of who she is. The last year changed her view. Not content to sit by while honesty, accountability, and compassion have gone missing in politics, she decided to run to make things better.

In our marriage, Monica’s pragmatism guides her decision making and she knows solving tough problems takes hard work. It’s those ethics she’ll bring to Hartford to tackle Connecticut’s economy, aware that it can’t be done at the expense of those in need or that some magic bullet is going to solve our fiscal problems. 

As an experienced CPA and Mom, she’ll ask the right questions to get to the bottom line.

She’s also concerned about our future overall and whether kids will find success in Connecticut, and be able to afford to stay and raise their own families. Similarly, whether retirement will allow us and others to remain here too.

There’s lots of issues that require great attention. I ask for your support to elect Monica to the Senate to get to work.

The writer’s wife is running as a Democrat for state Senate district 21. She is challenging Republican incumbent Kevin Kelly. The district includes parts of Seymour and Shelton.

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