Submitted by Joe Kelly
When I decided to run for State Senate, I did it for one simple reason: I believed I could help. I had spent decades building businesses in Connecticut, serving on local boards, coaching our young people, and working alongside my neighbors to get things done. I wanted to bring that experience to Hartford.
Election Day did not bring the result I hoped for, but I am humbled and deeply grateful that more than 18,000 people across Greenwich, Stamford, and New Canaan put their trust in me. Every one of those votes stands for a conversation, a handshake, or a neighbor who believed in what we were working toward. I do not take that support lightly.
I am proud of the campaign we ran. From the start, we committed to keeping it clean. There were no attack ads and no personal shots, just an honest discussion of the issues that matter to Connecticut families: energy costs, taxes, local control, and keeping businesses and jobs in our state. We showed that a campaign can be competitive and respectful at the same time, and I would not change that for anything.
Civility matters, in our society and in our government. We can disagree on policy and still treat one another with dignity and respect. The best solutions come when people listen, find common ground, and remember that we are all neighbors first. In that spirit, I support all the elected officials who were successful this Election Day, and I respect every candidate who stepped forward and tried. I hope our campaign served as a small reminder of what civility looks like.
None of it would have been possible without my family, our dedicated campaign team, and the volunteers who knocked on doors in every kind of weather. Thank you all.
As I like to say, you either win or you learn. I learned a great deal, and I come away more energized than ever. My work is far from finished. I will keep serving on the Board of Estimate and Taxation and in my other roles, working every day to help our community, our state, and our country.
I am proud of the community service I have done over the years, and I plan to continue it. I remain principled in my commitment to do what is right. I have been blessed with an amazingly exciting and successful life so far, and I have found that nothing is more rewarding than giving back.
Public service has always been part of who I am. If the right opportunity comes along down the road, I will be ready to step forward again.
Joe Kelly