Submitted by Tony Turner, Greenwich
I am volunteering on Joe Kelly’s campaign for State Senate, and as an unaffiliated voter, I want to explain why, based on what I have seen firsthand.
I worked along-side both candidates for the 36th district state senate seat in the upcoming election. When I chaired the Central Middle School Building Committee, Joe chaired the Board of Education. Building a new $112 million school is long, complicated and expensive. It needs someone from the school district who does the homework, asks tough questions, answers hard questions and keeps the project moving through the Board of Estimate and Taxation and RTM.
Joe did that. He communicated and met with me regularly about timelines, construction quality, meeting budget and hitting milestones. Prior, he was also the board’s liaison on the renovation of Cardinal Stadium at Greenwich High School. Joe went above and beyond.
How Joe became chairman says a lot about him. After two party-line tie votes, the Board of Education elected him unanimously, Democrats and Republicans alike. People who disagree with Joe still trust him.
Today Joe serves on the Board of Estimate and Taxation and its Budget Committee. This past spring the BET approved the town budget unanimously. As Joe put it, “We addressed what
needed to be paid.
His public service is only part of the story. On September 11, Joe was near the World Trade Center and spent three days doing rescue and recovery at Ground Zero. He then served ten years as a volunteer firefighter. He led the Greenwich High School rugby program to nine state championships in ten years and helped start girls’ rugby. He built a career on Wall Street and founded and ran a commodities brokerage. He and his wife Jill raised four children and opened their home to three foster children.
I have been in Joe’s home and know his family. I have served on the RTM, the BET and several building committees, and I have worked with elected officials of both parties for over a decade.
The ones who make a difference show up, do the work, bring people together and give the people the truth. That’s what I have seen Joe do.
Based on what I have seen firsthand, I believe Joe Kelly has earned the opportunity to serve Greenwich, New Canaan and Stamford in the State Senate. Please join me in voting for Joe Kelly for State Senate on November 3.
Tony Turner
Greenwich
Editor’s note: Letters to the editor about candidates in the Nov 3, 2026 election, we will accept letters for consideration from Oct 1 to the 27. The deadline is a week before the election: Oct 27 at 12:00 noon. There is typically a backlog of letters received right up to the deadline, so we will continue to publish some of those letters after the deadline.