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The following letter is from State Rep.-Elect Stephen Walko. An attorney for Ivey, Barnum and O'Mara, LLC, Walko was elected to represent the 150th District, replacing State Rep. Lile Gibbons, who is retiring.
To the Editor:
I am truly grateful to the voters of the 150th State Legislative District, Greenwich’s shoreline, who took the time to vote in this past election and elected me their State Representative. I know it was not easy for them, as Sandy wreaked havoc in many of the neighborhoods within the District and still the voters turned out to exercise the most fundamental right of democracy. Thank you.
Thank you also to my opponent, Stephanie Paulmeno, who ran an issues-oriented campaign.
I have learned a great deal in this election. First, running a positive campaign and having an opponent do the same is critical to providing the citizens of Greenwich the greatest opportunity to make an informed decision when voting.
Second, all candidates should voluntarily limit the placement of lawn signs on public ways to two weeks before the election.
Third, door-to-door campaigning, while time consuming, keeps a candidate grounded as well as informed of the issues within the District, and it was fun, too.
Fourth, no candidate could effectively run for office without the support of family and friends, and I thank all of them.
Fifth, whether Democrat or Republican, man or woman, young or old, once elected, it is critical that the successful candidate represent all constituencies and work across party lines to ensure that the government works well.
I am committed to working as tirelessly as my predecessor, Lile Gibbons, to bring the issues important to the residents of the 150th State Legislative District to Hartford. Criticizing other elected officials primarily based upon party affiliation will be avoided as it is not productive and only serves to create further governmental dysfunction.
As stated during the campaign, I hope to bring more of Greenwich to Hartford not Hartford to Greenwich. I am proud of the manner in which Greenwich operates and funds its government. I believe similar thinking in Hartford will enable Connecticut to establish a sound financial foundation, which in turn will help grow our economy and provide the necessary funds to meet the needs of our citizenry.
I am excited about the future. Together we can make Connecticut better and brighter not just for ourselves but more importantly for our children and their children.
Thank you for entrusting in me this great responsibility. I will not let you down.
Stephen G. Walko, Esq.
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