Meet Cathy De Carli, Democrat for CT's 32nd State Senate District

I am seeking your vote for State Senate District 32 because I believe in the American Dream – that America is the land of opportunity and that each generation can be better off that the one that came before it. I am running because I see this dream slipping away from too many in our state.

My family’s story, on the surface, reads like the American Dream.

Each of my grandparents immigrated to the United States, worked hard, played by the rules, and gave their children a better life than they had. Even though neither of my father’s parents were able to attend high school, they taught my father that hard work and playing by the rules often wasn’t enough ‑ that a good education was essential. That is why my father, after serving our country in the U.S. Navy, was able to earn his college degree through the G.I. Bill.

As part of a thriving middle class, my parents built a good life. They moved to Connecticut because of our state’s flourishing technology and manufacturing industries. They were able to find jobs. They were able to own a comfortable home. They were able to raise a family. They were living the American Dream.

But it wasn’t always easy for our family, and my parents never expected it to be. When my dad was laid off, we tighten our belts and were thankful that my mom had a night job. Regardless of the challenges they faced, my parents were able to provide for me and my sisters. We got a good public school education, attended college and all graduated without any student debt.

Like my parents and grandparents, I have been trying to live the American Dream. My husband and I have been together for nearly 30 years. We own our home and we have helped build a strong community in Connecticut. We have three sons who aspire to do the same.

Our American Dream – the idea that America is the land of opportunity and that each generation can be better off that the one that came before it – is now much harder to attain in Connecticut. The same great start that my parents gave me, and that my grandparents had given to them, is slowly slipping away. We are on the verge of being the first generation to fail to give the next generation a life better than our own.

Why is this?

Right now people are leaving Connecticut. We need to stop that migration out and keep our young people here. I want to live in a Connecticut where I can watch my grandchildren grow up. There are specific policies like paid family leave that help young families stay here because they can afford to take parental leave to have a baby. And, as we all know, families are the backbone of the American middle class.

We need to create fiscally responsible ways to help reduce the burden of debt on our college students. My children, and many of their peers, will be burdened with a student loan debt that can be as much as a mortgage. We can and must find ways to reduce that debt burden so that people can invest in homes or other things that help them to create longer term connections to the community.

About 12 years ago, when I first started a career as a realtor, my first client was a man in his mid-forties. He reminded me a lot of my father ‑ looking to move so he could better provide for his family. My client was a retiring Connecticut state trooper and he was moving out of our state. What a shame. A man whose job it was to put his life on the line for the people of Connecticut, had to leave the state, to build a better life for his wife and their young son.

In order to encourage more people to move into Connecticut, we need more jobs. We need to help the businesses that are here to grow and encourage other businesses to move to Connecticut. I was impressed when I learned how Middletown invited FedEx to work with them regarding their move. Middletown gave FedEx immediate access to all of the town’s inspection officials as well as access to a pool of experienced union workers for the construction of their building. This allowed FedEx to have efficiently finish the project and start generating income. This is just one example that shows short term tax breaks are not the only negotiating tool available to attract companies.

We can and will do more of this if you elect people, like me who are committed to solutions and not the same ways of doing things.

The American Dream is not lost, but we must work every day to make it thrive. And we can do this! We are in a time where hard work and determination make all the difference. This is why I am running for the Connecticut State Senate for the 32nd district. I’m asking for your support both in terms of funding and in volunteering help. I would like you to join me in this journey. I know together we can save the American Dream right here in the 32nd District!