Election 2026: Letters of Endorsement

NewCanaanite.com recently received the following endorsement letter(s). We will publish them through Oct. 26.

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To the Editor:

As I open my mailbox in the midst of this campaign season, I find materials with a tone unlike we in New Canaan are accustomed to receiving. Biting, sensational, unbecoming ad hominem attacks instead of open exchanges about the important issues of the day. I’m trying to understand the rationale the candidate for 125th District or her Democrat Party organization are using in bringing such a harsh and, frankly, hackneyed portrayal of the current president’s style into the local and state election. Is the Trump Derangement Syndrome so strongly experienced that it overshadows important discussions of what’s facing the three towns in the District (Darien, Stamford and New Canaan) much less the entire state of CT?

We have serious issues to address in Hartford which in the past sessions have, in my opinion, not enjoyed open and creative research and discussion. There’s little bipartisan interaction which is an important component of crafting solutions. Issues like taxes, energy, housing, health, job growth, etc. have histories which need to be woven into the discussions. I question how a candidate who has resided in the District for only a mere two years, despite claiming “long record of serving our community”, can have developed a firm enough grasp of these histories and can bring anything of substance to the table beyond mere Party speak?

I encourage voters of all persuasions to truly look at the fliers you are being mailed. Read beyond this “political speak” which sadly comes with election activity. Study issues and what candidates can speak about with a measurable degree of knowledge, experience, and demonstrated commitment. Hartford business is far more than raising funds for a local playground; it is where decisions which affect our everyday living, not only for today but for many todays to come, get crafted. Tom O’Dea brings a decade plus of hands-on engagement in issues which this District experiences. He’s exceptionally highly regarded by his colleagues, his arguments are listened to, and his well-earned leadership is respected across the Legislature. Let’s make sure we all in the 125th District, Party affiliation aside, continue to benefit from Tom’s service and extraordinary commitment. Please join me in casting your vote for Tom O’Dea, 125th District Representative.

Penny Young

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The recent campaign mailer from Tom O’Dea’s opponent raises concerns about the tone and substance of political discourse in New Canaan. Our community deserves a campaign focused on facts, policy differences, and the qualifications of the candidates and not personal attacks or misleading characterizations.

Having lived in New Canaan for 24 years, I believe our town is best served by thoughtful discussion and respectful debate. Voters deserve to understand where candidates stand on the issues, what they hope to accomplish, and how their experience prepares them to serve.

Tom O’Dea has served New Canaan for many years; bringing experience, sound judgment, and a demonstrated commitment to our community. Tom has always been the voice of reason, civility and honesty. His work on Town Council, involvement in youth sports, and service with organizations including New Canaan Youth Sports, Voices for 9/11, and Staying Put for seniors reflect a longstanding commitment to civic engagement. His experience as a practicing attorney at Diserio Martin further strengthens the professional background he brings to public service.

Political disagreements are inevitable and, in a healthy democracy, essential. However, campaign rhetoric should be grounded in facts and focused on the issues that matter to residents. When criticisms are made, voters should be able to evaluate the evidence behind them and determine whether they are fair and accurate. Lies are unacceptable.

Rather than allowing campaign rhetoric to define this election, we should be asking more meaningful questions: What are the candidates’ records of public service? What are their priorities for New Canaan? What specific plans do they offer to address the challenges facing our community?

These are the questions that deserve attention during an election. New Canaan residents should expect candidates to present their qualifications, explain their positions, and engage in a substantive discussion of the issues. I look forward to a debate among the candidates so voters can decide. 

Local control has been one of New Canaan’s success stories allowing our community to preserve the qualities that make our town special. Maintaining that tradition requires thoughtful leadership and commitment to putting our community first.

I believe Tom O’Dea’s record of service and experience speak to our values. Our community benefits when political campaigns elevate the discussion, respect voters, and focus on the facts. New Canaan deserves nothing less.

And, this is why I will be voting for Tom O’Dea.

Respectfully submitted,

Denise Luccarelli

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Dear Editor,

I have known Joe Kelly longer than anyone else. I heartily and unreservedly recommend Joe for State Senate. Connecticut needs legislators who listen carefully, respect taxpayers, and bring practical experience to public service. Joe Kelly is the man for State Senate in the 36th District in 2026.

Joe cares for no special interest and is willing to fight for right and right only. He does not bend to political pressure- ever. Kelly offers direct experience connected to the work of a state senator. His service on Greenwich’s Board of Education, including a year as chair, gave him insight into the challenging financial and cultural decisions facing schools, students, and families. His business leadership is unmatched- when Joe says he came from zero economic advantage- I can confirm Joe is a driven and totally self-made success. He understands financial decision making, the ramifications of them and the impact on the people who depend on them.

That combination matters, but integrity matters most. Education, political fashion, and fiscal policy should not be competing priorities. We need representatives who can support strong schools while asking hard questions about spending, accountability, and long-term affordability. But Joe will always follow the old admonition- Justice, Justice you will do. He will do what is right and fight you if try anything else. This is not a new trend adopted for the campaign. Joe will not back down and will not be cowed into going along to get along. 

Joe has emphasized fiscal discipline, local control of zoning, and greater transparency in state government. These are important commitments to the voters. 

Citizens should have control of the shaping of their communities. That control must be dynamic and forward looking. New problems require new solutions- our old problems also require new solutions. Voters can count on Joe to turn his principled views on financial stewardship, common sense approaches to our problems into practical legislation tempered by humanity and the experience of one who has fought the hard fight. 

Joe will collaborate with anyone and everyone with an idea of value, regardless of political persuasion. Truth and genius are not exclusive to any group. If it works Joe will go with it.

Joe will inject some hard-headed sanity into the government process and will work tirelessly to find and implement solutions. He is an open book. My view is no campaign spin. If you asked me 20 or more years ago for an evaluation, it would be the same. Joe does not stop working until he gets to where we need to be. In the Senate, he will do that for the voters.

Sincerely,

Col (ret.) Frank V Kelly

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We observed National Fire Prevention Week this year October 4–10. I salute the courageous first responders who run toward danger to protect the rest of us and our property. I’d like to share my experience as a volunteer fire fighter with you.

I have always been the kind of person who runs toward trouble, not away from it. That instinct is what sent me across the plaza on September 11th, and it’s what stayed with me long after the dust settled. Ground Zero taught me something I couldn’t unlearn: If I was ever called on again, I wanted to be ready. Not just willing. Trained.

So, I signed up. First with the Greenwich Volunteer Hose and Chemical Co., and later with Amogerone Volunteer Fire Co. I went through Firefighter 1 certification then kept going: fire truck driver training, extrication courses, every skill they’d teach me. I wanted to be someone who could actually do something when the call came in, not just show up.

For ten years, on and off, I answered those calls. Some stretches I ran nearly every week. I’ve stood on I-95 for hours in the dead of night, directing traffic around a wreck while headlights streamed past in the dark. I’ve pulled up to houses fully engulfed in flame, to brush fires racing across dry fields, to cars folded around trees with people trapped inside. I trained to cut them free, and more than once, I did. I saw things that never fully leave you. And I helped, every time, without ever asking for a thing in return. That was the whole point. It made me feel like I was finally giving something back to the town that had given me so much.

Nothing compares to the feeling of climbing onto that truck when the tones dropped: lights cutting through the dark, sirens screaming, adrenaline taking over before your mind even catches up. It was an honor every single time.

What stays with me most, though, are the people. Ten years on, I still run into them around town, and the bond doesn’t fade. When you’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with someone in the middle of a burning house or a highway wreck at 3 a.m., something forms between you that ordinary friendship doesn’t come close to. It takes a rare kind of person to run into danger for people they’ve never met and ask nothing in return. Every first responder I’ve served with deserves far more credit than they’ll ever get.

Joe Kelly, Greenwich