The usually quiet SWHS Annex parking lot was crowded with cars on the evening of April 23 as Republican party members and interested South Windsor residents gathered in the cafeteria to meet with Republican Governor Candidate Erin Stewart.
The event was part of the Republican Town Committee (RTC) Meeting, and was advertised as a ‘meet and greet’ with the candidate, who was previously mayor of New Britain.
“This event is in partnership with the South Windsor Republican Town Committee, so I’ve been going out to all the RTCs across the state speaking, bringing my message of change. It was the chairman who had the idea to kind of make it a bigger thing. I love it. You know, more people is better for me,” Stewart said after the meeting.
There were over 50 people in attendance, including the committee members and other citizens curious to hear more about Stewart’s campaign.
One of the attendees was freshman Omar Scott, who was one of the only high school students at the event. The Prowl asked him why he chose to go to the meeting.
“I attended the event last night because I believe young people like me should get involved in things that affect them directly like politics, so we can form our own opinions on issues so we can think critically on how issues affect the state and should be solved,” Scott said.
After a brief committee discussion, Stewart stepped up to the podium to discuss her personal and professional goals.
The 38-year-old politician began her journey to the race for governor in New Britain, where she grew up. Her father was the mayor of New Britain, and she remarked that politics had always been a part of her life. A graduate of Central Connecticut State University and the University of New Haven, she became involved in her community through boards and serving as a volunteer softball coach.
It wasn’t until she witnessed a public protest against a new tax that she decided to run for mayor to make changes in the town. At 25, she became what she called the ‘CEO of a 30 million dollar company’ as a way to summarize the job of mayor. New Britain’s finances were initially very poor, with a 30 million dollar operating deficit. After 12 years in office, Stewart earned a name for herself through her focus on municipal funding and community, but decided that it was time for a change.
She then discussed her campaign for governor, admitting that the race will be a tough one. A Republican has not won the race for governor since 2006, 20 years ago. Democrat Ned Lamont has held the position for seven years, but Stewart hopes to win not by attacking other Republican candidates, but by building her own party up and supporting herself.
There are several steps that Stewart will have to take before an election against incumbent Ned Lamont, which she explained to The Prowl.
“So I talked a little bit about this, but I’m in the race where the Republican convention that happens May 15th and 16th, then we have the Republican primary, August 11th, and then the general election. So I’m building up to reach these certain milestones to get to the end goal, which is to run against Ned Lamont,” Stewart said.
Throughout her speech, she highlighted how much her family motivates her, and discussed her ideas about diversifying options for municipalities to get funding. She also addressed the recent news attacks on her campaign, saying that they were false and unfair.
The meeting then moved into a Q&A, where Stewart responded to over 20 questions on her goals for the race.
While answering the questions, she expanded on many of her views, such as her commitment to practical laws over ‘feel-good’ laws, supporting the 2nd Amendment, her desire to be an active part of the state government, supporting the police, and promoting financial independence for young people.
During this session, Scott asked about her thoughts on violence in cities and how she would work to change it.
“Early times like these are some of the greatest times to have your voice heard, as your voice is the loudest,” Scott said after the event concluded.
The Prowl asked Stewart what her main goal was for the meet and greet.
“I hope that tonight I was able to give my message of change, my campaign slogan is it’s time for something different, and I believe in building a better Connecticut for everyone and making our state a more affordable place to be,” Stewart said.
