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ANSONIA-DERBY – Election Day is Nov. 5!
In addition to national races, there is a hotly contested race too see who represents Ansonia and west Derby in the state House of Representatives.
The incumbent is Democrat state Rep. Kara Rochelle.
The Republican nominee is Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti.
The Independent Party nominated Thomas Egan, an Ansonia resident.
To find out more about each candidate, click their names to visit their Facebook pages.
For everything you need to know about how to vote in this race, please click this link.
Note: coverage of this race was made possible in part due to a grant from The Valley Community Foundation.
Click this link, or the campaign 2024 link above, to read every story The Valley Indy has published on this race.
The following information explains where the three candidates stand on the issues that matter most to voters. The information comes from past Valley Indy stories and reporting on the race.
The topics and candidate responses are listed alphabetically.
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David Cassetti
Cassetti said the police accountability act was a mistake that made residents less safe. State officials who supported the bill do not support police, he said.
Aspects of the bill prevent cops from doing their jobs, Cassetti said.
He said if elected he’ll work with police and prosecutors to have their voices heard in Hartford so the law is changed.
“I will work with my colleagues — regardless of political affiliation — to rewrite the law,” Cassetti said.
Cassetti has the endorsement of the union at the Ansonia Police Department.
Tom Egan
Egan said he will work to secure additional funding for local police departments, and that he supports rolling back some provisions of the police accountability act.
“While I support accountability, I believe that parts of the recent police accountability bill have created challenges for officers in carrying out their duties effectively,” Egan said.
He also said more resources should be devoted to community engagement programs.
“I believe in strengthening community engagement programs that foster trust and cooperation between residents and law enforcement. By building these relationships, we can create a safer, more united community where public safety is a shared responsibility,” Egan said.
Kara Rochelle
Rochelle pointed to her legislative record, which includes a bill that gives health care coverage and financial assistance to the families of fallen police officers; a bill to increase penalties for killing a police dog; and a bill making it a crime to harass election workers.
“I’m passionate about these issues because these are our neighbors,” she said.“These are seniors and hard-working people that don’t need to have their cars broken into or their homes burglarized.”
She also said she is responsible for a $100,000 grant for an Ansonia teen center for the Boys & Girls Club.
“We all know that teens can make good choices when they have good options,” she said.
Rochelle said she was endorsed by AFSCME Council 4, CT State Police Union, and Connecticut Police & Fire Union PAC.
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David Cassetti
Cassetti said his administration started a renaissance in downtown Ansonia through careful planning and persistence.
The key strategy – Ansonia government took over properties that sat stagnant for years.
“The reason millions have flowed into our Ansonia Copper and Brass project is actually quite simple: my administration crafted a fundable plan for redevelopment over a decade ago, and put skin in the game: we took the unprecedented step of taking ownership of the 60 acre parcel. We can do the same for Derby by working to craft a master development plan to bring Downtown Derby back to life.”
More state funds are needed to address long-vacant factories and under-developed properties in Ansonia and Derby, Cassetti said.
Tom Egan
Egan has said he wants to kickstart the economy by incentivizing developers to build more affordable housing.
“I think we may need more multi-unit or family apartments. Ansonia doesn’t always allow for that,” he said.
He added that, to attract more good-paying businesses to the area, the state should take a look at its regulations.
“However, to attract more businesses like these, we must modernize our infrastructure, offer attractive incentives, and ensure a regulatory environment that supports growth while balancing the needs of the community,” he said.
Kara Rochelle
Rochelle said her efforts to address the economy include“the largest middle and working class tax cut in state history,” and eliminating taxes on most retirement income.
“I wrote a bill to double the incentive for job creation in economically distressed communities like ours,” she said.
She says the state should pay closer scrutiny to corporate landlords and encourage local ownership in order to make housing more affordable, and that more tax credits should be available for parents and seniors.
“We need stronger fair rent commissions, to crack down on price gouging by big corporate landlords, more funding to build affordable housing for average people, first time homebuyer programs, and to put an end to corporate takeovers of neighborhood housing, which I have heard from so many hurting both renters and those aspiring to own a home alike,” she said.
Rochelle said she has been endorsed by seven trade unions, ranging from the AFL-CIO to SEIU 511/CEUI.
David Cassetti
Cassetti said the state under-funded education in cities such as Ansonia and Derby for decades. That has put more burden on local taxpayers, he said.
Cassetti said the state has too much leverage over alliance district money. That’s a grant Ansonia receives because its schools underperform. Derby is also an alliance district.
Cassetti said he wants to rewrite the alliance district rules so communities have more say in how the money is used.
Tom Egan
Egan wants an expansion of vocational training.
“So when a kid enters the workforce, they are ready for a job. Can get their electric or plumbing license (upon graduation) and by the time they are 27 or 28 (years old) are well established,” he said.
Kara Rochelle
Rochelle’s website says she has helped expand school-based health centers, increased funding for childcare workers, improved the special education reimbursement formula, and secured millions for new job training programs.
She also introduced legislation to expand college level Advanced Manufacturing Certificate Programs into more high schools across the state. The bill passed with unanimous bipartisan support.
“I submit a bill every year for full funding, and fought back the year the governor tried to freeze ECS funding,” Rochelle said.“I fought hard and strategically to accelerate funding, not pause it. That is something I am proud of.”
Rochelle has the endorsement of both the American Federation of Teachers-CT and the Connecticut Education Association, the state’s two largest teachers’ unions.
David Cassetti
Cassetti said money from the COVID-19 era American Rescue Plan Act should have been used to offset sharp increases seen in electric bills this year.
He criticized state Democrats for not being willing to convene a special session of the legislature in Hartford to tackle the issue.
It shows how out of touch state Democrats are with the common person, Cassetti said.
Tom Egan
Egan has said he wants the state to pursue diverse, green energy sources. He wants to lower rates by placing more scrutiny on utility companies.
“If elected, I will prioritize diversifying our energy sources and expanding renewable energy programs to reduce dependence on volatile, fossil-fuel-powered electricity. I will also advocate for a thorough review of current policies driving these increases, particularly focusing on how the public benefits charge is structured,” Egan told The Valley Indy last month.
Kara Rochelle
Rochelle said the main reason electricity rates spiked this year is because of faults in a power purchase agreement from before she took office. She said it doesn’t make sense for utility executives to receive millions of dollars per year when ratepayers are struggling.
She said rates can be lowered by addressing those two issues.
“I am committed to reviewing all of the programs under the public benefit charge to see if there are ways we can lower costs. The bottom line is we need long term solutions and not gimmicks, otherwise we will be back in the same place in July,” she said.
Rochelle has also said the Republican calls for a special session are nothing more than pandering in advance of an election, and has called their proposed solutions gimmicks that don’t address the core issues.
