Candidate Profile: Dan DeBarba, 114th District

CONNECTICUT — The 2020 election is heating up in Connecticut and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office. Eyes are primarily focused on the presidential election, but every state representative and senate seat is up for grabs. All five of Connecticut’s congressional seats are up for grabs as well.

There are 151 seats in the state House of Representatives and 36 in the state Senate. Democrats currently hold majorities in both chambers with a 91 to 60 lead over Republicans in the House and a 22 to 14 lead in the Senate.

Connecticut Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Dan DeBarba, an Orange resident, is running for House of Representatives District 114.

<b>Party affiliation:</b> Republican Party
Independent Party of Connecticut
<b>Family:</b>My wife Lynn and I have two sons, one daughter, one daughter-in-law, two grandchildren and three golden retrievers.
<b>Occupation:</b>Hospital Administrator (20 years experience including President of Norwalk Hospital and President of Danbury Hospital) and Accountant (12 years experience with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and Ernst & Young (EY).
<b>Previous elected experience:</b>none
<b>Family members in government:</b>no
<b>Campaign website:</b> DeBarbaForStateRep.com

<b>The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.</b>
The most pressing issue Connecticut faces is recovering from the terrible impact that COVID-19 has had upon our state. Closely related to this is the lack of Connecticut's competitiveness - we must recover from COVID-19 while improving our competitive positioning among other states. Connecticut did not share in the last decade's recovery at an appropriate level and we must change our policies in order to do so in the next decade.

<b>What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?</b>
I believe my professional experience of leading two hospitals, balancing billion dollar budgets and managing thousands of employees well prepares me for the task at hand.

<b>What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?</b>
Being a hospital administrator provides me with a unique perspective. A hospital is a business but it is one like few others. The hospitals I have managed deliver billions of dollars in healthcare every year and the healthcare industry is extraordinarily complex. At the same time, it is non business like in that a hospital and health care entity's most sacred mission is really "people caring for people". In a sense, our state leaders have a similar mission in that they must find a balance between Connecticut's being financially sound, business friendly and economically competitive and ensuring provision of the basic needs of its most vulnerable population members.

<b>Do you believe Connecticut needs reform when it comes to electric utility oversight? What steps, if any should be taken?</b>
I support the recent bills being introduced in state legislature that hold the utility companies accountable to customers who have lost power and ensure that these customers are properly credited for any unreasonable power outages.

<b>What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses?</b>
(1) Repeal the sales tax on employment training and safety apparel, (2) restore pass-through entity tax credits to its original 93 percent, (3) restore R&D tax credit to attract entrepreneurs, foster startup businesses and promote private sector investment and (4) drive investments in our cities and towns by overhauling regulations, streamlining permitting, cutting red tap, and conforming state rules.

<b>List other issues that define your campaign platform:</b>
I believe we must reduce wasteful spending (I have several ideas to do so), reduce duplication of services, reduce crippling regulations, responsibly reduce taxes while dealing with our debt crisis, and address our state's crushing health care costs.

<b>What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?</b>
I'm not trying to build a career. I am trying to do my part help solve decades worth of economic and financial mismanagement. Regardless of who wins the election to occupy the White House, our state has to change its ways in order to be competitive. One party rule has failed us and we shouldn't expect change if we keep electing the same party to majority rule.