Candidate Profile: Joshua Esses For CT Senate District 27

STAMFORD, CT — A special election will be held in Stamford and Darien on March 2 for the purpose of filling the state senate seat of Carlo Leone, a Democrat who resigned last month to take a position in the administration of Gov. Ned Lamont.

Leone represented the 27th District, which encompasses portions of the two communities.

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Pat Billie Miller, of Stamford, is the Democratic candidate for the seat and Joshua Esses, also of Stamford, is the Republican candidate.

See also: Special Election March 2 In Stamford To Fill State Senate Seat

Connecticut Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as answers are submitted.

Below are Esses' answers:

• Age: 29
• Town of residence: Stamford
• Position sought: State Senate - District 27
• Party affiliation: Republican Party
• Occupation: Bankruptcy & Restructuring lawyer
• Previous elected experience: None
• Does anyone in your family work in politics or government: No

The single most pressing issue facing our state is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

State employee retirement benefits. I will work to fully fund them, and reform the abuses and pension padding that leads to unaffordable, excess benefits for far too many of our public sector workers. This has never been more true during the current recession, where middle class workers and businesses have been hit hard, while our government workers were not subject to any layoffs, and received multiple salary raises. State compensation and benefit costs crowd out other important spending that our people want, but can't afford. I will stand up for Connecticut taxpayers.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I bring a new voice and a new perspective to our state government that is sorely lacking. I think we have a bright future ahead of us, if Harford gets out of our way. That means changing the current narrative from one of taxation, to one of growth. It means doing right by the businesses and families and schoolchildren that have been impacted by the coronavirus. And it means getting our pension situation under control. I think we desperately needs new voices in our state government, and I will be that new voice for Stamford and Darien.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As a restructuring lawyer for some of the largest governments and corporations to have ever filed for bankruptcy, as well as both public and private sector pension plans, I understand how to protect our state's pensioners while also protecting the taxpayer. This requires making adult decisions about what we can afford as a state, and what we cannot afford. I am prepared to make these adult decisions.

What steps should state government take to bolster economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic for local businesses?

• Provide "just compensation" for businesses closed by coronavirus regulations.
• Reduce or eliminate restrictions, like business curfews, that don't improve public health.
• Reform the Municipal Employees' Relations Act (MERA) which binds cities and taxpayers into unsustainable municipal collective bargaining agreements.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

• Opening the schools for in-person learning, everyday, for children of all ages.
• Opposing Hartford money grabs, like the proposed state-wide property tax.
• Empowering local communities to make decisions about schooling and zoning; not Hartford
• Changing our state government's narrative from one of taxation to one of growth, and letting the country know that Connecticut is open for business.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Our state is at a crossroads. For virtually all of the last three decades, Democrats have controlled our state legislature. Taxes have increased, the cost of living has gone up, and our state retirement obligations have ballooned out of control. However, I know that we still have a bright future ahead, if we can capitalize on the incredible resources our state has to offer, and can take advantage of this unique moment in our nation’s history.

Now is the time to tell the world that Connecticut is open for businesses, it’s open for families, and it’s open if you want to live here and get a good education at a reasonable cost. We deserve a government that is worthy of its people, and we have not been getting that from Hartford.

A vote for me is a vote for a new message from our state’s capital, which says we are finally going to make hard, adult decisions about what our government can do, and what it cannot do. A vote for me is a vote for prosperity, for every family in our state and our district.