To the Editor:

Friends and neighbors, thank you for placing your trust in me for another two-year term as your state representative. No matter how you voted, thank you for coming out to exercise one of the great freedoms we, as Americans, hold dear, our right to vote.

And to the tremendous number of you who sought me out prior to, on, and after this Election Day to simply say "Thank you for your service," or "I voted for you because you have a good heart," please know that your kindness touches me and is symbolic of who we are in Newtown. You inspire me to do my part to make a difference for you every day. It is an honor and a pleasure to represent you.

I pledge to continue to listen with an open mind and respectfully legislate and vote for the collective best interests of our town and you, as residents, families, and individuals. I will continue to place your needs first, while working beyond our town to help restore our state's ailing economy, without compromising our social safety net and the quality education that Newtown's kids deserve.

In personal matters involving the state, please remember you can count on me to discreetly fight for you and help you cut through red tape. As your state rep, remember that I work for you, regardless of politics and ideologies. I'm not just Newtown's voice in Hartford, I am also yours.

Lastly, by working together, we can all be part of the solution to create a better Connecticut. This will benefit all Newtown in terms of affordability, good employment opportunities, better transportation infrastructure, having consistently great schools, good quality of life, and a return to appreciating home values, to name a few. Please understand that, sometimes, we may not agree on individual issues. On hard issues, I defer to you, as your representative, measuring the prevailing desires of our community as a whole without superimposing my personal opinions. I believe it is important to listen and learn from one another and be prepared to find compromise, so, please, don't hesitate to let me know what you're thinking. Even though I represent 25,000 friends and neighbors, your individual voice matters.

I love our increasingly diverse community and am humbled to serve. Once again, thank you.

Mitch Bolinsky

3 Wiley Lane, Newtown         November 10, 2016