Elaine Matto challenges for state House seat

Democrat Elaine Matto, a longtime Planning and Zoning commissioner and a nurse case manager at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, part of Hartford Healthcare, is challenging incumbent Jason Perillo for the 113th District seat on the state House of Representatives.
What is your reason for seeking election?
I am running to represent the voters in Shelton who share my perspective. We need to have someone to vote for when we go to the polls. Our incumbent is aligned with a far right of center perspective. At least a third of the voters in Shelton have a more progressive perspective — on health care, on climate, on fair pay for essential work, on commonsense gun controls, on racial justice and progress. I am running to represent them on these issues.
To me, representing Shelton means representing people at all income levels: supporting fair pay, supporting progress on the environment and climate, supporting access to health care for all.
What areas will you work on to aid the city of Shelton?
Health care is the major issue as far as I am concerned. The incumbent has proposed putting work requirements on those eligible for Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This amounts to putting up hurdles to health care access for your own constituents. So much wrong with this proposal. Bureaucratically unworkable. But the main thing is that no one wins when access to health care is road blocked. I see this very directly in my work as a nurse case manager.
We won’t know what we will need to do at the state level to protect health care access. The Supreme Court has been asked to overturn the ACA and will not rule on that case until after the election. But protecting access to health care for all Shelton residents will be my guide.
I will also support all science-based measures to control COVID-19. We cannot let our guard down, and we cannot support the economy without controlling the virus.
We will have opportunities to promote climate change jobs which I will enthusiastically support. Shelton has room to grow climate change technology jobs.
What are the major issues facing the state in the coming legislative session?
The major issues facing the state are health care access for all; control of COVID-19; support for citizens impacted by the virus — essential workers, businesses and employees; and racial justice and understanding
Matto said she will fight to help workers and small businesses navigate the pandemic. She will work to bring jobs to Connecticut through her support of green energy industries. She also supports union and collective bargaining rights. On racial justice, Matto said she supports equality of opportunity for all people, especially in matters of employment, education, health care and housing.