Submitted by Peter Cruikshank
I have been thinking about what it takes for someone to be an effective state senator.
Among other prerequisites, state senators must understand budgets, legislative procedure, and the process of building support to move proposals forward.
I think that last point is really important: one state senator alone cannot deliver results. Building support is essential. This requires building relationships with your fellow legislators, knowing their districts’ priorities, and finding common ground in order to gain their support to move a proposal forward.
One reason I am supporting Jill Oberlander is her ability to easily develop important relationships, a skill she has shown time and again in her years of public service.
She developed relationships with politicians and legislatures across Connecticut during the four years she represented the 36th District on the Connecticut Democratic State Central Committee.
In Greenwich, in 2018 she was unanimously elected by her Democrat and Republican colleagues on the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET) to become the first Democratic BET chair. She worked with all her BET colleagues and led the team in making difficult but thoughtful decisions for the community.
As the lone Democrat on the three-person Board of Selectmen during COVID, she worked across party lines on municipal operations, contracts, appointments and the town’s response to this incredible public emergency.
This wide range of public service roles has given Jill the experience with public budgets, government administration, and bipartisan deliberation and helped her develop important relationships throughout Connecticut politics.
She will arrive in Hartford ready to work for Greenwich, North Stamford, and New Canaan.
This is why I am supporting Jill Oberlander for State Senate for CT District 36.
Join me and vote for Jill Oberlander for State Senate.
Yours,
Peter Cruikshank