The two Democrats vying for Elizabeth Esty’s 5th District congressional seat say they’ll fight partisanship in Washington and work to create jobs and better educational choices.
In April, Esty announced she won’t seek re-election, saying she mishandled a claim of abuse in her office.
Speaking on Connecticut Public Radio’s Where We Live, candidate Jahana Hayes, a former social studies teacher, said elected officials need to be more forward-looking.
"We have to look at education in a much broader sense," Hayes said. "How does it impact our communities? These are generational decisions that we’re making. Are we preparing the next generation of young people to adapt to the changing needs of the economy?"
Hayes was named National Teacher of the Year in 2016.
Glassman, a former first selectman from Simsbury, narrowly won her party’s endorsement in May.
If elected, she said she’d work to connect more high schools with manufacturing and skilled-labor job training.
“The town of Colchester has a program,” Glassman said, “that you can get a two-year college degree in manufacturing when you graduate high school. That should be an opportunity in schools all across Connecticut.”
Connecticut’s Democratic primary is August 14.
There are also three Republicans running for Esty’s seat: Manny Santos, Ruby Corby O’Neill and Rich DuPont.
Mary Glassman is the sister-in-law of Elizabeth Messina who also works at Connecticut Public. In her role with the company, Messina does not function as a news editor, reporter, or a talk show producer.
