The Milford-Orange Times is continuing its election-year tradition of asking the candidates to respond to questions about what they would do for the residents of Milford and Orange if voters elect them. Election Day is Nov. 3.
Q: What will you do if elected to help make your district a more affordable place to live? Be as specific as possible.
State representative candidate Alex Armstrong, Democrat, District 119
Alex Armstrong
As I have gone door to door in Milford and Orange over the past several months, I always ask people: “What’s keeping you up at night?” The answer is usually the same: everything costs too much: groceries, housing, electricity bills, health insurance. The cost of living in Connecticut has become a genuine burden for working families, and the people we send to Hartford have a responsibility to do something about it – not just to show up and vote no, but to fight for our communities every single day.
Let me be specific about what I want to do.
Number one: start with energy – because it touches everything else.
Connecticut ratepayers pay 53 percent above the national average for electricity. That raises costs for families directly, but it also hits every small business here. And when a small business owner in Orange or Milford is paying through the roof for electricity, that means less money for hiring, equipment or keeping prices down for customers.
Part of the problem is structural: over half of New England’s electricity is generated by burning natural gas. Every time gas prices spike – and right now they are spiking because of the Trump administration’s conflict with Iran – our bills go up, too. A grid with more clean energy is not just better for the environment; it’s more resilient to exactly this kind of shock. That’s why I was troubled when my opponent voted to let Connecticut’s solar programs expire at the end of 2027 – right when families are looking for cheaper energy solutions.
Number two: protect the healthcare people already have.
President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” is about to make the affordability crisis significantly worse. HUSKY covers around 939,000 Connecticut residents – roughly a quarter of the state’s population – and an estimated 110,000 stand to lose coverage when new federal eligibility requirements take effect Jan. 1.
Many will lose coverage not because they are ineligible, but because they cannot navigate the intentionally confusing paperwork. People who clean houses and do not get a pay stub will be cut off even if they are working. When people lose coverage, they delay care, end up in emergency rooms and go into debt. The whole community pays the price. Connecticut needs legislators who will fight to protect HUSKY and push back against a federal government treating health coverage as a budget line item. I will be one of those legislators.
Number three: fight for our fair share of education funding.
Property taxes are one of the biggest affordability challenges facing homeowners and businesses in our community. One of the most direct things a state legislator can do is fight to bring more state education funding back. Every dollar of state education funding is a dollar that does not have to come from local property taxes. I will make this a priority from day one.
As a parent of two daughters in Milford public schools, I have a personal stake in getting this right for our children. But good schools are also a smart investment in the future workforce that our businesses need. And they attract the families and employers that make our state thrive.
Number four: build more housing, thoughtfully.
Connecticut is short roughly 98,000 affordable housing units. When there is not enough housing, costs go up for renters, prospective homebuyers and employers struggling to recruit workers who cannot afford to live nearby. I support increasing supply through adaptive reuse of commercial properties, accessory dwelling units and transit-oriented development, while preserving the character that makes Milford and Orange such desirable places to live.
Number five: invest in the industries of tomorrow.
Affordability is also about opportunity. QuantumCT, a public-private partnership bringing together UConn, Yale and state government, is positioning Connecticut at the forefront of quantum technology, with over $1 billion in committed investment and a recently awarded National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines grant. This is the kind of bet on the future that generates good-paying jobs here for decades. I want to be a legislator who understands that kind of work and helps clear the path for it.
I have spent my career in charitable organizations, where every dollar was donated by someone who trusted us to spend it wisely. I know what fiscal discipline looks like, and I am not looking to spend money we do not have. But I will fight every day for the money and policies that should already be working for Milford and Orange.
Affordability is not one problem. It is a system of connected pressures. Our community deserves a representative with the background, the drive and the commitment to address all of them. I hope to earn your support and humbly ask for your vote.