Editor’s Note: All candidates for Governor, Secretary of the State, Attorney General, U.S. Senate, 2nd Congressional District, State Senate and State House Districts for Haddam and Killingworth were invited to send a brief statement and a photo to HK-Now.com. These are being posted online as they arrive. They also will appear in Haddam Killingworth News over four Thursdays in October.
Posted on September 27, 2022:
My name is Hugh Birdsall. I live in Clinton with my wife, Janis, and our two dogs. I am running on the Green Party ticket for State Representative in the 35th District.
I am a retired public school teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages. I currently work as education coordinator for a 501(c)3 non-profit organization called Reforest the Tropics, based in Mystic. My job involves going into elementary and middle schools in eastern Connecticut to teach students about climate change and sustainable living. I am also a musician, songwriter and producer. I have performed in some of the finest restaurants, bars, parking lots, and farmers markets in the state.
In Clinton, I serve on the Town Tree Committee and the Sustainability Committee. In the past, I have run for the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Board of Education, also on the Green Party ticket.
The reason I am running for state representative this year is to continue participating in the civic life of my town. I hope to highlight important issues that are historically overlooked by the major party candidates. Ranked choice voting, curbside composting, truly affordable housing, and equity are ideas whose time has come in our district. If we are to confront effectively the existential threat of climate change and the unsustainable and inequitable practices that have defined our region for decades, we need informed and committed representation in the General Assembly. While I do not expect to win more than a few percent of the vote in this election, I do hope that my presence on the ballot will call attention to these increasingly urgent matters.
I look forward to meeting my fellow candidates and to engaging in a civil and lively discussion about the issues I have outlined above.
