Letter To The Editor: Why I Support McCarthy Vahey For State Rep

Dear Fairfield friends,

I’m writing this letter to support Cristin McCarthy Vahey’s campaign for re-election as the state representative for the 133rd District. It is my absolute pleasure to do so.

I’ve known Cristin for more than a decade; we met entirely outside the world of politics. After being introduced by mutual friends, I began to run into her in multiple arenas: volunteering through the PTA and community organizations; attending our children’s school concerts; at church; at social gatherings; and often while simply walking around our neighborhood. Over time, our acquaintance grew into a friendship based on shared experiences, values, concerns and hopes for our community.

I am incredibly grateful to have Cristin as a representative of Fairfield in Hartford (for the record, I don’t live in her district but I have had many, many discussions with her on important issues as they relate to our town in the state. She is always willing to make time to respond, and is patient, thoughtful, and prepared). In an era when many of our local politicians seem like professional campaigners, Cristin is anything but. She is one of us: a mom, a wife, a concerned citizen called to share her time and talents in the service of our community. Cristin truly lives out her values — education, economic equality, human services — in both her personal and legislative endeavors.

Most recently (pre-COVID shutdown) I was privileged to attend a session run by Cristin on recognizing and addressing suicide through a simple intervention called QPR: Question, Persuade, Refer. A social worker with an MSW degree, Cristin is a certified suicide prevention trainer and has volunteered to teach it. This is the type of person I want representing Fairfield. We are fortunate to have her.

Sincerely,

Nicole Stanton

Fairfield

This article originally appeared on the Fairfield Patch