The former chairman of the city’s Republican Town Committee has decided to put her own hat into the ring. Michele Gregorio officially announced her candidacy for the State Senate in the 14th district on Sunday, April 8, in front of a room full of supporters at the Offshore Restaurant in West Haven. The district includes Milford, Orange, and parts of West Haven and Woodbridge.
Gregorio filed with the State Elections Enforcement Commission in February with the intention of taking on seven-term incumbent Democrat Gayle Slossberg. Slossberg stunned the district when announcing her decision last month.
Since that time Gregorio has been building support for her candidacy, and now that it is an open seat, her determination to win the seat and make a real difference in Hartford remains as strong as ever.
“As many of you know, I have recently retired as controller of the BIC lighter plant in Milford, and you might ask, why step directly out of retirement right into a political campaign. The reasons are clear. We have all seen the financial decline of our state made even worse by Malloy policies, supported by the majority party in the state legislature. These Hartford politicians failed to understand the impact that two of their largest tax increases would have on us. I would never have supported these tax increases.”
As controller of BIC’s lighter division, Gregorio managed a $90 million budget, and her responsibilities included union negotiations. She serves on the West Haven Board of Finance and served as Chairman of the West Haven Republican Town Committee from 2016-2018.
“We need people in the State Senate who have experienced and understand the day-to-day struggle for success, who have worked hard in the real world to achieve for themselves and their families,” she said. “We must return our State to a place where our children and grandchildren can have stable futures. There is a path to better times but we must act now and elect people who have a range of experience that will enable them to make the correct decisions no matter how difficult they may be.”
A lifelong Connecticut resident, Michele has a wealth of experience in business, finance and community service; she wants to bring this knowledge and a fresh perspective as our next State Senator for the 14th District.
While raising her first child as a single mother, Michele earned a degree in Accounting. Later she married, and while raising five children, graduated from New York University with a BS in Health Care Policy and Planning, magna cum laude.
Recruited by the Standard Motor Products Corporation as a cost accountant, Michele was responsible for compliance with government regulations, giving her a clear understanding of the impact regulation has on business.
“When I was employed by Echlin/Dana as the shut-down accountant, I saw first-hand the impact of a major business leaving Connecticut. It was a very sad time to witness a former Fortune 500 corporation reduced to nothing. I became determined to help to prevent such occurrences. We must do more to ease the burden on taxpayers by expanding our business tax base. We must support policies that encourage businesses to stay, and new ones to locate here,” she said.
For more information, Michele Gregorio can be reached at michelepgregorio@gmail.com or (203) 231-7274. Her website is micheleforstatesenate.com.