Meet Pat Boyd, Democratic candidate for Connecticut's District 50 state representative

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 publishing the 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 are on the ballot for District 50's state representative seat - Democrat and incumbent Patrick Boyd and Republican Aaron Soucy. District 50 includes Brooklyn, Eastford, Pomfret, Union and Woodstock. Soucy did not return his questionnaire.

Name: Pat Boyd

Campaign website: www.BoydForCT.com

Profession: Dean of Students, camp director and legislator

What makes you the best candidate to represent District 50?

Since 2017, I have had the privilege of representing rural Northeastern Connecticut in the State House. During that period, I have been the leading voice of fiscal responsibility, and my actions forced the bipartisan budget of 2017. We built a coalition of Democrats and Republican legislators to break the legislative stalemate with then-Gov. Malloy. The effort resulted in the most significant fiscal reforms in the history of Connecticut.

Because of my advocacy and key vote, we now have a cap on spending, bonding cap, and a volatility cap that forces the legislature to act responsibly and to save unexpected money and not spend it immediately upon receipt, as was the practice for decades. This change has allowed the state to pay down debt accumulated over the last 70 years and build a healthy reserve fund from nearly nothing. We have made significant strides in getting our fiscal house in order, but that work must continue.

I have a unique background as an educator, a camp director for a large nonprofit organization that hires 90 seasonal employees annually, and an emergency responder with the Pomfret Volunteer Fire Department. This background has made me an effective legislator who believes in making it easier for businesses to operate, the need to fund and modernize emergency services, and the value of properly investing in education. Northeastern Connecticut is often referred to as the “Quiet Corner,” but when I am out knocking on doors, residents will refer to it as the “Forgotten Corner,” and I have worked hard for that not to be the case and have made sure the state invests our fair share in the region. It takes a certain temperament to build positive relationships with legislators from all over this diverse state on both sides of the political aisle to get things done, and I have done that consistently. If given the honor to return to Hartford, I will continue to be accessible to constituents and work to bring people together to solve problems rather than engage in often partisan fighting. The residents of Connecticut expect us to get things done rather than point fingers and blame others for inaction. I welcome the challenge.

What do you think is the biggest issue facing your district, and how would you solve it?

Affordability is the number one issue facing the residents of Northeastern Connecticut. Connecticut’s economic picture is a mixed bag. We have relatively low unemployment, and anyone looking for a good-paying job can find one, but the cost of goods and services and national inflation hurts the middle class. Over the last few years, we have been proactive in working to keep money in the pockets of individuals. We have implemented tax breaks for the middle class, including increasing the child tax credit, raising the property tax credit, suspending the gas tax, offering additional sales tax holidays, eliminating several fees on businesses, including the business entity tax, and the most significant shift is beginning the process of removing income tax collection on social security, pensions and annuities for our retirees. In the face of global inflation, more must be done, including reevaluating our entire tax structure to deal with the overreliance on the property tax.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Patrick Boyd Q&A: Democratic candidate for CT House District 50