Newtown’s incumbent 106th District State Representative and Assistant House Republican Leader Mitch Bolinsky contacted The Newtown Bee this week announcing his re-election campaign for a fifth term.

He will again face Democratic candidate Rebekah Harriman-Stites, who ran for the same statehouse seat in 2018.

Describing himself as Newtown’s “accomplished voice in Hartford,” Rep Bolinsky has served his hometown since his election to the Connecticut House of Representatives in 2012. Since then, according to his announcement release, Rep Bolinsky has advocated on behalf of his community through legislative efforts, years of bipartisan relationship building and caring, and personal constituent service.

“It is said that being productive in Hartford is about relationships and finding common ground,” said Rep Bolinsky. “In my nearly eight years, I am proud to have built a network of colleagues on both sides of the aisle that allow me to seamlessly work in concert with Committee, Commission, and Agency decision makers to represent Newtown in the special way our residents and town leaders deserve.

“Newtown has done well getting and keeping its fair share on my watch and maintaining a high profile in all matters of state,” the local lawmaker claimed.

As a member of the powerful budget writing Appropriations Committee, Rep Bolinsky was a central voice for the reforms instituted in the historic 2017 Bipartisan Budget. He also serves on four budgetary subcommittees, one as the ranking Republican member.

His fluency with state budget details ensures Newtown’s key state funding is always monitored and acted upon proactively — before potential issues can become “problems,” he said.

When then-Governor Malloy proposed zeroing-out Newtown’s state education funding while pushing for unfunded state obligations that would negatively affect Newtown’s property taxpayers, Rep Bolinsky said he mobilized to protect Newtown taxpayers, recovering the millions of dollars critical to Newtown public schools.

He then worked closely with colleagues in the bipartisan Joint Committee on Education to institute a new, ten-year state education funding model to ensure predictable state revenue streams into the future.

Supporting Job Creation

As a 30-year private-sector marketing professional, Rep Bolinsky believes a robust job market is essential to the success of our state. As a result, he states that he is a strong advocate for job creators, working to make the state attractive again by supporting local and Connecticut-based businesses. He said he is also “a voice for common-sense,” and is recognized by CBIA and NFIB for being a friend to small business and fighting the imposition of undue burdens that make employers less competitive.

Rep Bolinsky is an advocate for senior issues, legislating the phase-out of state income tax on Social Security and pension income, and protecting that plan from being undone in the most recent budget cycle. He said he is a nationally recognized advocate in the fight to find Alzheimer’s “First Survivor,” earned “AARP Capitol Caregiver” honors for his work with seniors on protections against abuse, neglect, and fraud, and has been a strong voice promoting employment issues facing the state’s aging workforce.

Rep Bolinsky said he has been a leader for five years in the battle against tolls, recently opposing and defeating the latest proposal that would have placed a toll gantry in Newtown. He said he worked raising concerns about this as a regressive tax, and the fact that no local impact study was conducted to understand how diverted trucks would affect Newtown’s local roads, traffic, businesses, and public safety service response times.

Special education (SPED) has been a focus of Rep Bolinsky’s tenure in Hartford, with important successes including legislation and task forces to promote early detection and intervention for students with dyslexia and autism in our public schools. He is also a founding member of the legislature’s bipartisan caucus for special needs in the intellectual and developmental disabilities community.

At present, Rep Bolinsky said he is working to find fairer ways to have the state address the very real and unfunded portion of local SPED costs.

Rep Bolinsky said his work on behalf of Newtown “never ends,” and this November 3, the M4N or “Mitch for Newtown” team is humbly asking for the continued support of voters in the 106th District to re-elect him so he may continue building on his years of effective and successful representation for Newtown.

The M4N campaign will be hosting a re-election kickoff “Meet & Greet” and fundraiser shortly. All will be welcome and details will follow about this “opportunity to share optimistic conversation, exchange ideas, and have some fun.”

Constituents can stay informed about the campaign or volunteer by visiting mitchfornewtown.com — or the campaign’s Facebook page at facebook.com/mitchfornewtown.