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To the Editor:
I like candidates who knock doors in the rain.
It is a clear demonstration that the candidate is so determined to serve that they choose to persevere even when the weather is not great. It is a simple, but effective metaphor. Maybe the unsuspecting voter will give the candidate some extra credit because they showed up to ask for their vote while sopping wet.
Lucy Dathan likes to knock doors in the rain. How do I know this? Because I canvassed with her recently in South Norwalk. In the rain.
In the time I have known Lucy, I have learned she is many things: unfailingly kind, very funny, deeply qualified, legendary with numbers, and intellectually curious. But what separates Lucy from other candidates across Connecticut is how prepared she is and how that preparation turns into tangible results for Norwalk and Norwalkers.
It’s why she meticulously packs the materials she brings with her, from the campaign cards and information about legislation she’s passed to stickers for kids. Oh, and she has plastic bags for all these things in case of rain.
Her preparation is evident. At almost every home she visits, Lucy always makes sure to ask voters what they think needs to happen to improve Norwalk. And when voters bring up issues in their lives, Lucy typically has an on-point suggestion or will commit to learning more about the issue and ask for the voter’s contact information.
In her time in the State Assembly, Lucy has helped Norwalk in spades. She ensured the passage of this year’s $650 million tax cut, the largest tax cut in Connecticut history. As a member of the Insurance and Real Estate Committee, she has led efforts to increase access to health care, mental health parity, end surprise billing, and remove barriers to affordable and comprehensive care. In 2019, Lucy sponsored legislation that capped the price of diabetic insulin, putting a stop to price gouging in Connecticut by the pharmaceutical industry. And in September, she was honored by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network for her efforts to restore $12 million in tobacco control funding.
Towards the end of our time knocking doors, it began to rain pretty heavily. We still had a few more houses to go. I wondered if she was going to offer to call it a day and come back some other time.
What did she say instead? “Let’s keep going.”
Vote for my friend Lucy Dathan on November 8th.
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Goldstein is an at-large member of the Norwalk Common Council