Meet Farouk Rajab, Democratic candidate for Connecticut's District 18 state senator
Election Day in Connecticut is Nov. 8, when dozens of candidates will vie for positions in federal and state offices. Several cities and towns will ask local questions on the ballot in addition to the statewide question about early voting.
The Norwich Bulletin sent questionnaires to candidates running for several state seats in Eastern Connecticut. The Bulletin is running their answers with edits only for grammar or if a candidate wrote over the word limit and did not resubmit a shorter version by deadline.
Two candidates will appear on the ballot for Connecticut's State Senate District 18, which includes Griswold, Groton, North Stonington, Plainfield, Preston, Sterling and Stonington. State Senator Heather Somers is the incumbent and Republican candidate. Hotel General Manager Farouk Rajab is the Democratic candidate.
Republican candidate answersMeet Heather Somers, Republican candidate for Connecticut's District 18 state senator
Name: Farouk Rajab
Campaign website: www.faroukrajab.com
Profession: Hotel General Manager
What makes you the best candidate to represent District 18?
For the last thirty years I have worked hard to build for my family’s future, and now I am ready to do the same for yours. I understand the daily struggles and the choices people have to make every day. I am committed to making your quality of life better.
I am exhausted of the politics of parties that are not focused on what is good for us, the voter. I will hold you as my priority and will ensure that the money you deserve goes back into your wallets. Connecticut must provide a first class affordable health care to all its citizens. Your kids should have a firm foundation of education excellence, social and emotional support at school.
I have the needed experience to do the job. I am a hospitality expert who contributed in or ran eight non-profit and trade organizations. I currently serve as the chairman of the Stonington Board of Education, as well as my daily job running one of the largest hotels in Rhode Island. I understood compromise and was always able to bring all voices to the table so we can make collectively a better decision to benefit the whole group. It takes courage to be able to compromise and negotiate across the aisle while preserving the interest of your constituents in mind.
What do you think is the biggest issue facing your district, and how would you solve it?
We have a more than $2 billion surplus in our state budget, and now is the time to return money to Connecticut residents. With the cost of living skyrocketing nationally, we need to enact quick, immediate changes to eliminate the car tax, expand the child tax credit, suspend the Connecticut gas tax permanently and reinvest in our people with more tax breaks to working and middle class families.
Education is the foundation of our future. We need to ensure our children are receiving the support they need for their social and emotional learning. Their mental and physical health is paramount for them to continue their educational journey. When in office I will work to reduce the statutory mandates that are crippling our teachers and educational system. I will eliminate every mandate that does not support student achievement. I will enact legislations that will aid our teachers and paraeducators to do what we entrust them to do. I will remove barriers that hinder voluntary interdistrict collaboration to provide efficiencies and better programing. More charter schools is the wrong answer to our educational challenges.
I will reform our health care to ensure that our residents have a world class care without breaking the bank. Cost of health insurance is a huge burden that is no longer sustainable for our residents.
We live in the greatest country on earth, and the greatest state in the union, we should have a world class sustainability plan for our environment. Deforestation to use for urban development and rising sea levels are real threats that we need to enact combating legislation for. We need to support our farmers and ease the burden off their hard-working families.
Affordability and affordable housing are a real concern in our district. I will enact legislation that will support towns’ infrastructure to reach the minimum goal of 10% of affordable housing. We cannot simply continue to grant fund projects without grant funding the host communities to support that influx of projects.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Farouk Rajab Q&A: Democratic candidate for CT Senate District 18
