Dathan campaign touts endorsements

NORWALK, Conn. – State Rep. Lucy Dathan (D-142) has been endorsed in her drive for reelection by:

• Mayor Harry Rilling
• Planned Parenthood Connecticut and NARAL
• The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) and the Sierra Club Connecticut Chapter

Dathan is being challenged by former State Rep. Fred Wilms, a Republican she unseated two years ago. District 142 is comprised of parts of New Canaan and Norwalk; Dathan lives in the Silvermine portion of New Canaan while Wilms is a Norwalk resident.

‘Lucy has been by my side’

Democratic Mayor Harry Rilling met Dathan at Veterans Park on Wednesday, to call on Norwalkers to cast a ballot for Dathan a press release said. Rilling is quoted as saying:

“I hope you will join me in supporting Lucy Dathan for reelection in November as she seeks a second term as State Representative of Norwalk and New Canaan.
“Lucy supports the environmental issues that matter most to Norwalk residents, and works with preeminent environmental groups on improving the quality of Norwalk’s open spaces as well as our beaches and harbor.
“Lucy has been by my side repeatedly when it comes to fighting for our communities’ safety and dealing with traffic issues that endanger residents and negatively impact the quality of life we enjoy from West Norwalk to Silvermine and beyond.
“Working together with her Norwalk colleagues, Lucy was able to secure state funding for Norwalk High School. Lucy consistently shows her dedication to education, from her school recess bill and her work for ELL learners, to her efforts to make college more affordable, and making sure NCC stays viable as the “crown jewel” in Connecticut’s Community College system.
“At the onset of the pandemic, Lucy helped secure highly sought after PPE for Norwalk Hospital, informed by her regular contact with area hospitals and care facilities and close attention to her constituents.
“I’ve worked closely with Lucy these last few months, and Lucy has been there every step of the way, advocating for the people she represents and ensuring every constituent and business has access to the COVID-19 relief their unique situations may demand.
“There is still much to do in Hartford and I hope you will join me in supporting Lucy for reelection so she can continue working hard for us.”

Dathan expressed gratitude, according to the press release. She is quoted as saying:

“Having worked closely together for the last two years, I know {Rilling} has the city’s best interests always at heart and we can depend on him to be there and meet the challenges our residents face on a daily basis.

“I am eager to continue serving all of the communities in the 142nd District and glad to have an ally like Mayor Rilling in our goal to improve the quality of life we all enjoy in Norwalk,” concluded Rep. Dathan.

A ‘proven track record’

Dathan made protecting Connecticut’s environment one of her “highest priorities” in her first term, the Connecticut League of Conservation Voters (CTLCV) is quoted as saying.

“When the General Assembly convenes the 2021 legislative session, citizens of Connecticut will be depending on you for the environmental leadership that earned you CTLCV’s endorsement,” said CTLCV Executive Director Lori Brown is quoted as saying. “Working together, we can achieve a clean and protected state for all Connecticut residents and future generations.”

The Sierra Club Connecticut Chapter has a 50-year history of protecting open spaces and wildlife by working with legislators, the press release said. It also emphasizes “racial, economic and environmental justice for all people.”

The Dathan endorsement conveys the Representative’s “strong support for these issues and your proven track record on environmental issues,” Ann Gadwah, Political Chair of the Connecticut Chapter, is quoted as saying.

Both groups are highly selective in their screening process for endorsements, conducting “a deliberate review of an incumbent’s record and detailed answers candidates supply to a written questionnaire,” the release said.

Dathan is the only Norwalk State Representative to be endorsed by CTLCV, according to its website.

The press release lists highlights from Dathan’s environmental track record:

• Voted on climate change curriculum to be implemented in school
• Co-sponsored bill to ban the use single-use plastic straws
• Introduced bill to ban use of dangerous PFAs in firefighting foam
• Co-sponsored bill to prohibit trade of any of the “big six” African species

“As responsible elected representatives, we have to be vigilant and safeguard our air, water, wildlife, and climate,” Dathan is quoted as saying. “I look forward to collaborating on educating the public and enacting significant legislation that promotes and improves the quality of life we enjoy here.”

‘Protecting women’s reproductive freedom’

Planned Parenthood Connecticut and NARAL, Dathan is said to have “worked tirelessly as a fervent supporter of pay equity and paid family leave, and has advocated for expanding healthcare requirements to include prenatal care, especially as it relates to African-American mothers who consistently have the highest mortality rate in birth of any demographic in the country.”

The press release said she voted to:

• Eliminate cost-sharing for certain mammograms and breast ultrasounds
• Strengthen CT’s “Time’s Up” bill, which lengthens the statute of limitations on reporting sexual abuse and assault and, among other things, increases penalties for sexually assaulting a mentally incapacitated person.

“I’ve dedicated myself to protecting women’s reproductive freedom here in Connecticut and will continue to do so when I return to Hartford for a second term,” Dathan is quoted as saying. “No individual or law should dictate what a woman is able to do with her own body. I will stand firm in my opposition to any attempts to draft laws that say otherwise.”

“Planned Parenthood cited Dathan’s record in her first term in the Connecticut State House and called her a staunch advocate for Women’s Rights, which the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg equated with Human Rights,” the release said. “Planned Parenthood lauded Rep. Dathan for her work in the Connecticut General Assembly over the last two years. The legislative body, according to Planned Parenthood, has ‘fended off the dangerously restrictive laws enacted in many states that are increasing rather than minimizing health risks.’”

“Reproductive health and health care choices will come under attack by a realigned Supreme Court. The current presidential nominee’s views will afflict more damage and reverse long upheld policies,” Dathan is quoted as saying.

• The campaign said that legislators worked with Planned Parenthood in 2019 to:
• Pass the paid family medical leave law;
• Pass policy to ensure access to PrEP for young people to prevent the transmission of HIV; and
• Work to establish the LGBTQ Health and Human Services Network through the legislature.

“We need to keep this state moving ‘forward not backward,’ as the significance of my campaign motto becomes even more apparent,” Dathan is quoted as saying.

Dathan has also been endorsed by Connecticut REALTORS®. Wilms has also been endorsed by the Norwalk Police union, NFIB (National Federation of Independent Business) and the Independent Party.