| NOVEMBER 3, 2010 -- State Representative Roberta Willis, D-64 will serve for a 6th term after winning re-election to the 64th District seat.
“I am thrilled and honored that I get to serve for another term in office,” Willis said as she celebrated victory at the Torrington Democratic head quarters on Tuesday night.“This is a reaffirmation that the people in my district trust the job that I have done, and shows that the voters have a belief in sending me back to Hartford.”
Willis had faced a challenge from Republican Kathy Lauretano, who was unable to upset the Democrat.
Willis said that getting people back to work is going to be her number one priority in the coming term. “We need to put people back to work in order to jump-start the economy,” Willis said. “We also need to ensure that we have a skilled workforce.”
Willis also said she will focus on green jobs, healthcare and the bio-science field, three fields that she said the most job growth in the state is going to happen.
Willis will represent the Northwest Corner towns of Goshen, Sharon, Salisbury, Cornwall and most of the city of Torrington.
Lauretano said she had a lot of fun during the whole process of campaigning, and said she was disappointed in the loss.
“I am really disappointed for the state today,” Lauretano said. “It is going to be impossible for Tom Foley to work with the liberal spenders, especially those like the extreme liberal spenders like Roberta Willis.”
Lauretano thanked the Torrington Democratic Town Committee and the voters throughout the district for their support.
Willis began her career as a legislative aide and a political organizer and has been a radio show host.
In 1989 she founded Mothers and Others for a Livable Planet, a children’s environmental health organization with 38,000 members.
As a resident of Lakeville, Willis has been active in several community organizations — Housatonic Youth Service Bureau, Taghhannuck Grange No. 100, founding member of the Open Door soup kitchen in Winsted.
The issues she is focused on for this election are the budget and eliminating the deficit, and health care reform.
Lauretano, a retired state police officer, was born and raised in Evanston, Ill., and became a Connecticut resident in 1972.
The issues Lauretano focused on were state spending, taxes, federal and state mandates, gun ownership rights, private property rights, and energy costs.
To cut spending proposed to freeze hourly pay rates for state employees and bring pay rates in line with private sector pay rates for similar jobs, consolidate positions in state agencies, and stop earmarks. She also said she had planned to lower state income tax. |
