To The Editor:

This letter is in support of Jahana Hayes, who is running for reelection as the US Representative for Connecticut’s 5th congressional district, which includes Newtown.

Who cannot admire Jahana’s story? Born in Waterbury, she grew up in a public housing project. Affected by addiction in the family and poverty, she went on to earn degrees from Naugatuck Community College, Southern CT State University, the University of Saint Joseph, and the University of Bridgeport. Passionate about education and quoted as having said that “education saved [her] life,” Jahana then became a beloved government and history teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury.

But that’s not all. Jahana was named National Teacher of the Year by President Obama in 2016.

But that’s not all. In 2018 Jahana looked at her students and said to herself, “Who will speak for them, if not me?” So she ran for office and was elected to become the first African American Congresswoman from the State of CT in the US House of Representatives.

But that’s not all. As Vice Ranking Member of the US House Committee on Education and Workforce, Jahana has been an advocate for equitable access to educational opportunities, affordable health care, and food security for all. She supports labor, immigration reform, gun violence prevention, improved transportation, and protecting the environment and agriculture. She is also a fierce advocate for social justice and veterans’ issues.

Jahana works in a bipartisan way to get things done and improve the lives of everyone in our community. We need to ensure that Jahana is able to keep doing what she has been doing so well — working for all of us in D.C. Please vote for Jahana Hayes for US Representative on November 5th!

Sue Kassirer

Sandy Hook