Democrat incumbent Gregg Haddad is facing Republican challenger Aaron Bowman in Mansfield’s 54th State House district.
Haddad has been Mansfield’s state representative since 2011. Prior to becoming state representative, Haddad said he worked in the non-profit world, was a staffer in the General Assembly, served in an elected position on Mansfield’s zoning board and was Mansfield’s deputy mayor.
Bowman has no political experience, but he said he has public service experience with 20 years in Connecticut’s Air National Guard and has worked in the Department of Corrections. He said he started getting involved with local politics attending rallies and protests and speaking in the Capitol. He stated that he ran due to cost-of-living issues and a perceived need for change.
Haddad is currently the co-chair of the Higher Education Committee in the House and he serves on the Appropriations Committee, which works on funding to state universities in Connecticut. He said he views higher education as his primary area of influence.
“I’ve also been a strong advocate for the environment, I have a strong environmental rating from the league of conservation voters, and a strong advocate for programs that just help people make ends meet like paid sick days, paid family and medical leave and increasing the minimum wage, that sort of thing,” Haddad said.
Bowman said he views cost of living issues, accountability and transparency as priorities. He discussed conversations he had with people in Mansfield when campaigning and knocking on doors.
“A lot of it is just- they don’t feel like their voices are being heard, so I’m looking to start off with a monthly town hall where everybody can come voice their opinions- the good, the bad and the ugly,” Bowman said. “The other thing is having somebody in Hartford that’s accountable to the people. Right now, there is no accountability.”
State senate majority leader Bob Duff sent an open letter to Radenka Maric in August stating that UConn can accommodate 40,000 students, or an increase of 8,000 students. Bowman criticized this plan and what he views as an unsustainable funding strategy for UConn.
“I am all for growing, but we need to make sure we have sustainability while doing it, the infrastructure in town can support it because we are a college town, and that the students have a voice and that they get to say ‘Hey, yeah, we think it’s a good idea that we add 8,000 more students, or as a sophomore or junior, maybe not because some programs that I want are being cut again.’”
Haddad thinks that an enrollment increase needs to be more fully vetted to turn into a plan and that UConn would need more money for this, which he would be willing to provide.
“I would hate to ask the university to increase enrollment prior to receiving a solid commitment from the General Assembly both to replace what will be lost after the current fiscal year is done and then also to invest additional state support that would make an enrollment increase possible,” Haddad said.
Bowman criticized high salaries for coaches and top administrators at UConn and said that greater transparency about where money went is needed. Bowman said that UConn received approximately $80 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
“The problem is once the state gives that money to UConn, it goes into their coffers, and they can spend it any way they want,” Bowman said. “There’s no oversight, being a state school.”
Haddad spoke about struggling with the state budget and how he was trying to get state funding to be commensurate with state university funding nationwide. He views funding for state universities as a little bit at risk.
“It has had a negative impact over time with what we’ve been able to afford to provide to public universities,” Haddad said. “With some one-time federal money, ARPA money, Covid money from the federal government about to expire, I think both Senator [Mae] Flexer and I have as a top priority figuring out ways that we can stabilize state support for public universities.”
UConn is currently considering cuts to approximately 245 academic programs, which Haddad thinks are being considered because UConn fears a decrease in state support. Haddad says he is trying to advocate for funding which he thinks would stave off reductions in programs.
“What the legislature has done because we don’t want to leave UConn and UConn students shortchanged is provided about $100 million in federal ARPA funds that is being used by the university to subsidize its operating budget,” Haddad said. According to a Connecticut Democrats website, $80 million in ARPA funds were allocated to UConn. “Those funds will expire on June 30 and the challenge for the legislature to find a way to replace that money and to fit it into our state budget.”
““I’ve also been a strong advocate for the environment, I have a strong environmental rating from the league of conservation voters, and a strong advocate for programs that just help people make ends meet like paid sick days, paid family and medical leave and increasing the minimum wage, that sort of thing,” Haddad said. ”
He’s a laptop for UConn. Nothing more nothing less. He cannot say he cares about the environment when once you leave UConn the rest of Mansfield has little to no access to water and sewer lines. Well water is not as good as public water (fluoride for starters) and septic tanks need to be inspected which costs the town quite a bit vs having a public water system.
This is why it is harder to make more affordable homes in Mansfield. Why would anyone make a new house and act like water and sewer aren’t big concerns? Keep in mind a septic tank means lower population density which means if they cannot build as many units that it simply will not be done. This means UConn will keep churning away at more dorms at the expense of the town as it has been for years now.
There is also no rail system
It’s great to see that the legislature is stepping up to support UConn and its students with those ARPA funds. However, it’s concerning that those funds are set to expire soon. I hope they can find a sustainable solution to replace that funding in the state budget. It’s crucial to ensure that UConn continues to thrive and provide quality education without putting students at a disadvantage. It’ll be interesting to see what strategies they come up with to address this challenge!