Incumbent 106th District Republican State Rep Mitch Bolinsky and his returning Democratic rival Rebekah Harriman-Stites spent nearly an hour September 25 defining themselves and their political positions on a number of subjects during the latest segment of The Newtown Bee’s Friday Forums.

The 106th District encompasses most of Newtown, and the two candidates for the General Assembly touched on issues affecting residents and businesses during the Facebook Live webcast.

View it here:

This third installment of Friday Forums was preceded by similar virtual meetings between 2nd (House) District incumbent Democratic Rep Raghib Allie-Brennan and his GOP challenger and former 2nd District Rep Dan Carter, and incumbent Republican 28th District State Senator Tony Hwang and his Democratic challenger Michelle McCabe.

An abbreviated webcast featuring a conversation with Republican 112th State Rep JP Sredzinski was scheduled on October 2, the date that absentee balloting for the election is set to commence in the state. Rep Sredzinski, whose district encompasses several neighborhoods in the Botsford area of Newtown, also covers all of Monroe.

The next installment will host local election officials reviewing absentee voting progress and information pertinent to those planning to vote in person on November 3, Election Day.

Rep Bolinsky and Harriman-Stites responded to questions submitted by readers and supplemented by the webcast host, Bee Editor Nancy Crevier, covering issues of police accountability legislation, their positions on housing at Fairfield Hills, how a candidate’s behavior in public reflects on voters’ perceptions, ideas on how to make Newtown a more livable community for its aging residents, and the candidates’ impressions on the greatest challenge facing Newtown today.

Rep Bolinsky utilized some of his opening statement reflecting on an incident that occurred the previous weekend when a volunteer campaign worker posted some inappropriate gender references on his reelection campaign’s Facebook page. The lawmaker reiterated that he had made an apology to his challenger, and expressed gratitude for her accepting it.

In reference to the post, which Bolinsky referred to as a “distraction,” he commented, “...it was regrettable, but it was very quickly corrected, and like we discussed, it wasn’t reflective of my values at all.”

Bolinsky added that he looked forward to an issues-oriented campaign, touted his eight-year record at the statehouse as a “caring, effective advocate in Hartford,” and said he “draws on the voices of the community [that help] contribute ideas that work well in Hartford for the betterment of Newtown.

“My experience has led to a comprehensive vision of what needs to happen at the state level to best support what Newtown needs, which is a great quality of life, affordability, educational self-determination, and the very character of the town that we call home,” the incumbent said, adding that he remained busy during the forced shutdown of the General Assembly helping constituents primarily with unemployment compensation challenges.

“I call that proven leadership in uncertain times,” he concluded.

Harriman-Stites reflected on her 20 years as a Newtown resident, noting her latest public service as a two-term member (and former vice chair) of the local Board of Education, and her previous commitment as the Middle Gate Elementary School PTA president, co-founder of the Everwonder Children’s Museum, and the My Sandy Hook Family Fund shortly following 12/14.

“It is clear that I am committed to Newtown,” the challenger said. “As a single mom, member of the board of education, a social worker, and someone who has founded a small business, I have always focused on moving Newtown forward.”

Harriman-Stites pledged, if elected, to work for everyone in Newtown, “from our frontline and essential workers, to parents working to juggle work and childcare, to our seniors isolated from friends and family, and our resilient small business owners deserving assistance and guidance to stay afloat.”

Saying she “will not be afraid to stand up to the challenges facing the state,” the candidate promised to be thoughtful and nonpartisan in addressing changes that voters and residents must endure in the coming years.

“With the right leadership I know we can not only recover, but we can prosper,” Harriman-Stites concluded. “We are at a critical impasse in our community, in our state, and in our country — elections matter, and this election really matters.”

Hear all the 106th District contenders, and everything the other Newtown delegation members and challengers have to say, by viewing all the Friday Forums curated on The Bee’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/user/thenewtownbee).