Dafoe seeks to unseat Vail in 52nd House District

Nov. 3—Kurt Vail

REPUBLICAN

Hometown: Stafford

Age: 54

Experience: Four terms as state representative; Stafford Board of Selectmen

Education: Attended Western Connecticut State and Western New England universities

Occupation: Insurance agent

Republican Rep. Kurt Vail, R-Stafford, will face off against Democratic candidate Gregg Dafoe for the 52nd House District seat in November.

The 52nd House District is made up of Somers and Stafford.

Vail, 54, is seeking his fifth term after holding office since 2014.

He works as an insurance agent for Paradiso Insurance in Stafford Springs and is licensed in property acquisition and casualty, in addition to life and health insurance. He also works at Long View RV Superstores in Windsor Locks.

In addition to his role as state representative, Vail also serves as a selectman in Stafford. He has coached youth sports in Stafford.

Gregg Dafoe

DEMOCRAT

Hometown: Stafford

Age: 44

Experience: None

Education: Bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida; Law degree from Western New England University

Occupation: Former owner of law firm in Florida for 10 years; human resources director for Stafford Veterinary Clinic

Vail serves on the legislature's Veterans Affairs, Insurance and Real Estate, and Public Safety committees.

He said public safety would be a priority if he were to be re-elected.

"We've been a little lax on crime, that's something we need to address," Vail said, adding that he would like to tackle thefts in particular.

He also is focused on the problem of opioid addiction, which he said is a "difficult situation." He said he has been part of positive work that the state has done to address addiction, and would like to continue that work.

Additionally, Vail is passionate about working to help veterans and said that veterans should be getting the same care throughout the state, and he would like to address "inconsistencies between towns" in how this care is given out.

Vail is also dedicated to getting more funding for crumbling foundations in the district, he said.

He said that he would accept the results of the election and he has "never seen any evidence" that would give him concerns about the integrity of elections in the state. He said he also wants everyone to have the opportunity to vote.

Overall, Vail is hoping to continue his work in the legislature, which he has found rewarding.

"I think I've proven myself to be honest and sincere," Vail said, adding that the key is listening to his constituents, and that he usually finds more things to agree on with people, than disagree.

His challenger, Dafoe, 44, moved to Stafford from Florida in 2017 and works as Human Resources Director for the Stafford Veterinary Center. Before moving to Connecticut, Dafoe practiced law in Florida for almost 10 years.

Dafoe earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida, and his law degree from Western New England University School of Law in Springfield.

Dafoe is registered as unaffiliated with any political party, but is running on the Democratic ticket.

He said he was approached by people in the district who asked him to run as the Democratic nominee.

"I am unaffiliated, so I felt like I could represent everyone in the district," Dafoe said, adding that he believes he could bring "civility back to the political process."

Dafoe said that if he were elected, he would seek to bring funding to the district for things such as crumbling foundations, the agriculture industry, and schools. He also wants to push for criminal justice reform, working toward increasing the minimum wage and supporting local working families.

"I consider myself a champion of blue collar workers," Dafoe said. "I grew up in a low-income home, I know what it's like to struggle financially."

Dafoe said he would fight for a woman's right to abortion if elected.

"When Roe v. Wade was overturned, these state campaigns took on a whole new meaning. Our state legislatures are really going to be the guardians of independent civil liberties in the next decade or so, and I think it's important that we elect people who believe in civil liberties and are willing to defend them," Dafoe said.

He said he would commit to accepting the results of the election in the absence of evidence that anything went wrong.

"That's what democracy is all about," he said.

Ultimately, Dafoe said, he believes that he is "the real deal."

"I know the struggles of this district because I live them every day," Dafoe, a single father, said. "I know I struggle the same way that they do. And I'm committed to representing all of them."

Ben covers Vernon and Stafford for the Journal Inquirer.