Ben McGorty, first elected in a special election in 2014, is seeking re-election to the 122nd District of the state House of Representatives.
McGorty’s wife, Noreen, is an alderman in Shelton, representing the Huntington section of town.
McGorty said he believes the point of government should be to make lives better and to make them easier. He said the ever-increasing state spending is the biggest obstacle to that and he believes in fiscal responsibility.
McGorty, a Realtor with William Raveis, is a member of the Knights of Columbus. He is a lieutenant/deputy fire marshal for the town of Stratford, has more than 25 years as a volunteer firefighter with the Huntington Fire Department and serves on Shelton’s Board of Fire Commissioners.
What is your reason for seeking election?
I chose to run again because I feel I have done great things in Hartford to help my constituents in Shelton, Stratford and Trumbull.
What areas will you work on to aid the city of Shelton?
I worked hard with my colleagues getting our tax dollars that we send to Hartford back into our district through funding our schools, getting school construction grants and other grants that fund improvements to our open space and parks. I worked to support the road reconstruction and pavement project for Route 110 from the Sikorsky plant in Stratford up into Shelton. As the co-chairman of the Fire and EMS Caucus, I worked side by side with our public safety workers making sure they are safe and protected while on the job. I fought hard to protect our police officers from the bad elements of the new police accountability bill, just to mention a few. I am looking forward to continue fighting for my district in Hartford so we get our fair share of tax dollars back to my towns. The job is frustrating at times being in the minority, but we do get some wins from time to time so it has some rewards.
What are the major issues facing the state in the coming legislative session?
The pandemic has had a devastating effect on my district. I have several nursing homes and assisted living facilities that have been hit hard by this. I have many constituents that lost their jobs and businesses over this. As the virus is now more under control, the effects of the loss of income and rising bills will soon be our next concern. Revenue not only took a loss at home it also took a hit in tax dollars coming to Hartford. We will soon need to pay for all of the aid that was sent out to help people stay afloat.
What are three major areas that you plan to focus on if elected?
My priorities will remain the same as they have in the past. I will fight to keep our taxes low. I will fight to help keep our retired and senior citizens here in Connecticut and work to eliminate the income tax on pensions. Protect business though smaller government and reject unfunded mandates to all municipalities.
