Jobs & Economy

As an entrepreneur, MD has extensive experience working and creating jobs in Connecticut’s economy. He believes that to sustain and grow our middle class, we need a state government that fosters growth through targeted investments, reduced college and technical school costs, and aligns our workforce with the jobs of tomorrow.

 

Healthcare

MD spent much of the pandemic volunteering, giving his time and resources to efforts like community vaccination programs and mask distribution. He was on the frontlines helping people in our community because he believes that healthcare is a right, not a privilege. He’ll support a Public Option, and will always ensure our safety net is fully funded.

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Education

Education is the answer to so many of the obstacles faced by Connecticut families. Providing the opportunity to attend community college and technical schools for free, maintaining Connecticut’s excellent public education system, paying and treating teachers as professionals, universal pre-Kindergarten, and funding mental health programs in schools will all be priorities for MD in Hartford.

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Women’s Rights

MD will strengthen women’s rights in Connecticut to help end the pay-gap, increase funding of and minimum contracts for women-owned businesses, continue to strengthen domestic violence legislation, and protect a woman’s right to choose. He will also focus on STEM-initiatives for girls in our public schools. 

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Unions

MD will support workers' right to organize, protect existing collective bargaining rights, and ensure that we invest in apprentice programs for union workers. He believes that Project Labor Agreements and Prevailing Wage laws should be expanded to lower funding limits and be codified into all taxpayer funded projects.

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Choice

Abortion is a woman’s right, fullstop. MD will strongly oppose and stop Republican efforts to repeal any of the protections Democrats have enshrined in Connecticut law, and he will take whatever steps necessary to protect a woman’s right to choose if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court.

 

LGBTQ+ Rights

MD will defend LGBTQ+ rights and supports access to medical care for all children and adults. He supports GLSEN Policy Recommendations and public school curriculum that includes instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity. He also supports the inclusion of gender-neutral bathrooms in all taxpayer-funded construction and renovation projects.

Gun Safety

Connecticut’s tragic experience with gun violence has shown all of us that keeping guns out of the wrong hands must remain a priority. MD will work to strengthen our prohibitions on ghost guns and illegal weapons, require training for firearm permits, and fund mental health and jobs programs to help stop violence before it starts.

 

Environment

The towns of the Fourth Senate District boast some of the best hiking, parks, and open spaces in our state. MD will ensure those assets are protected against overdevelopment and pollution and bring funding home to support our parks. He will also work with our towns to identify and address areas in need of rehabilitation.

 

Transportation

Connecticut’s transportation infrastructure is in dire need of vision and leadership. MD will use his business experience to build consensus in Hartford to find a new path forward, invest in our electric grid and electric-car charging infrastructure, and make more communities walkable and bikeable through funding of complete street initiatives and transportation-oriented housing. 

 

Housing 

MD will support efforts to expand affordable housing options in Connecticut by earmarking additional funds for transit-oriented development, mixed-use development, and targeted investments in the needed rehabilitation of existing multi-family housing found in many of Connecticut’s cities and former mill towns. 

 

Energy

Energy costs in Connecticut are one of the most significant stressors for residents and employers. As a business owner, MD knows we must strengthen Connecticut’s renewable energy portfolio and green energy infrastructure to lower costs and prepare to be carbon neutral by 2045. We must also build the infrastructure needed for our transition to electrical vehicles. 

 

Open Space

MD will support local communities’ efforts to preserve open space by investing in our local and state parks, provide additional bond funding, and advocate for a one-to-one state matching grant program for open space acquisition that serves passive and active municipal recreation purposes.