Jim Irwin
Jim Irwin is the Democratic candidate for the Connecticut House of Representatives 61st District. He has lived in Connecticut for 15 years. He believes that his ability to negotiate compromise solutions will allow him to reach across the aisle, define common goals, and accomplish more for the people of our district.
Some Issues & Positions
Reproductive Rights – Each woman must have the right to decide what is best for her body, her health, her family, and her future. This is not and should never have been a function of government.
Voting Rights – He strongly supports implementing safe and secure early voting and no-excuse absentee balloting, like most states in the country. It should not be an unfunded mandate to the municipalities, but a statewide funded process.
Human Rights – All people have the right to be who they are and to say what they think, without fear of persecution, and to live their lives free from discrimination, regardless of race, gender, or belief.
Education – He supports increased state funding for our educators. Quality education should be attainable for all students, regardless of socioeconomic status.
The Economy – He believes that we can continue to grow the workforce to help jumpstart small businesses while empowering working families, by providing subsidized daycare and health coverage for those who are struggling to improve their quality of life.
Affordable health care – Healthcare, available to all, is a right, not a privilege. As a state, we should expand coverage and eligibility for our healthcare exchange to improve availability for all citizens.
For more information on the candidate go to jimirwinforct.com
Tami Zawistowski
Tami Zawistowski is seeking reelection in the new 61st District which after redistricting includes Suffield, East Granby and part of Windsor Locks; she currently serves the residents of Suffield, East Granby, and part of Windsor in the old 61st. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in an April 2014 special election.
She is a member of the House Republican leadership team, serving as Caucus Policy Co-Chairman, and previously served as ranking member of the Planning and Development Committee from 2017-2021.
In 2019 she introduced legislation to allow towns to increase tax breaks for volunteer first responders, which passed both the House and Senate unanimously and was signed into law. She also introduced legislation to expand, at no cost to municipalities, training opportunities for certain first responders, for incidents involving individuals with autism or other nonverbal learning disorders. This initiative also became law in 2019.
Zawistowski also serves on the budget writing Appropriations Committee and the Transportation Committee. For her work during the 2019 legislative session she was recognized as “Legislator of the Year” by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM).
Tami is a small business owner who has operated Resource Books, LLC, a used and rare book company, for more than 20 years.
Tami is an advocate for efforts to create a more favorable tax and regulatory environment in order to improve our state’s ability to compete with other states, encouraging both entrepreneurship and the expansion of existing companies.
For more information go to tamizforthe61st.com