Patch Candidate Profile: Rob Blanchard, 28th Senate District

FAIRFIELD, CT — Election Day is Nov. 3, and there are a number of key races on the ballot in Fairfield.

To help educate readers about the state's election, Patch reached out to candidates for office to get more information on their campaigns, and about the issues that are facing the community and the state.

Candidate's Name:

Rob Blanchard

What office are you seeking?

State Senate

Age:

38

District:

28th State Senate District (Bethel, Easton, Fairfield/Southport, Newtown/Sandy Hook)

Party:

Democrat/Independent

Campaign website:

https://robblanchardct.com

Occupation:

Communications and media relations professional with leadership experience in government and financial services, including serving as Governor Lamont's communications director

Family:

Yes, my wife Samantha Norton, who grew up in Fairfield, our toddler Theo and dog Penelope.

Does anyone in your family work in government?

I have teachers and police in my extended family.

Previous public office:

I served on Fairfield's Representative Town Meeting (RTM) in the McKinley/6th District. I also have six years of local elected experience on a city council and planning and zoning commission where I fought for responsible planning, investments in education and to keep property taxes predictable.

Why are you seeking this office?

As parents, my wife and I feel the monthly squeeze just like our neighbors. Between the high cost of childcare, healthcare, taxes, and electricity, families are under real pressure. While recent 10% rate reductions on electric bills are a step in the right direction, our work is far from finished. Having delivered results on the Fairfield RTM, I’m ready to serve as a strong voice in Hartford to lower costs and help our small businesses thrive.

We must address affordability and Connecticut’s high cost of living head on by easing the impact of inflation and combating the rising costs of utilities, health care, and prescriptions through smart, proactive legislation. I am committed to keeping taxes stable and predictable for seniors and families, while fighting for increased municipal aid so local leaders aren’t forced to raise property taxes or cut education funding.

I’ll stand up to policies coming out of Washington that make life more expensive for our families, and I’ll work to defend our fundamental rights, such as a woman’s right to reproductive freedom and access to paid family and medical leave, regardless of who is in the White House. As your next State Senator, I will fund public safety, strengthen red flag gun laws that save lives, and pass gun safety laws.

At a time when critical industries are facing shortages, we must invest in a workforce that attracts and trains the next generation of teachers, health care and public safety professionals, mental health workers, and manufacturers, working with public and private leaders to close the talent gap. We need to ensure that workers who are trained here stay here.

On development, towns should take the lead on where and how they grow. I’ll partner with our municipal leaders and my legislative colleagues, across party lines, to get legislation over the finish line, reform 830-g, repurpose existing buildings, and protect our watershed and open space from overdevelopment.

I’ll work by partnering with anyone, in either party, and with our local leaders to get legislation over the finish line. This district can ask for more from its representation, and I’ll deliver it. While these are just a few issues, I have always worked to connect with voters and deliver for them.

What do you believe is the No. 1 issue facing Connecticut, and how do you plan to address it?

The number one issue is whether families can afford to live here. I’m a new dad and a first-time homebuyer, so I see it at my own kitchen table: childcare, the electric bill, the grocery run, car and health insurance, and property taxes. For seniors on fixed incomes, those same bills can decide whether they can stay in the town they’ve lived in for decades–but we need to keep them here and near family.

My plan starts with the bills people pay every month. I’ll push regulators to take a hard look at utility rate increases and insurance premiums, and make sure they’re justified before families are asked to pay them. I’ll back tax relief that puts money straight into family budgets, like the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, and the property tax credit. And I’ll fight for more municipal aid and bonding so our towns can fund their schools without reaching deeper into homeowners’ pockets.

Health care is the biggest bill for many small businesses, so I’ll support letting small employers join together to buy coverage at a lower price, with the key ACA protections intact. And I’ll work with anyone in either party on a budget that grows no faster than families’ paychecks.

Energy costs have been soaring in Connecticut. What are your plans to help address this issue?

Electric rates have come down about 10 percent over the past year, but I know a lot of families don’t feel it. Connecticut still pays well above the national average, and Eversource is already asking for another double-digit increase. There’s more work to do.

I’ll start by protecting what’s working: the fixed-price nuclear contracts that shield us from price spikes, and the new rule that stops utilities from billing customers for lobbying, PR, and political donations.

Then I’ll go line by line through the public benefits charge. Programs that help seniors and families, or that lower bills through efficiency, should stay. Anything that doesn’t earn its place on your bill should go. I won’t just move costs from your electric bill to your tax bill. That only changes which pocket it comes out of.

And I’ll hold PURA and the utilities accountable on every rate request and push on the real costs of generating and delivering power, so lower bills aren’t temporary.

Affordability has been a major topic across the country and here in Connecticut. How do you plan to address this issue?

Affordability is always top of mind. With a toddler in daycare and as a first-time homebuyer, I feel it every month, and so do my neighbors, from young families to seniors on fixed incomes.

Here’s how I’ll tackle it.

Utility bills. Electric rates are down about 10 percent, thanks in part to the bipartisan 2025 energy law and the fixed-price nuclear contracts, but families still pay far above the national average. I’ll go line by line through the public benefits charge, press PURA on every rate request, and keep utilities from billing you for lobbying. I won’t just shift costs onto your tax bill.

Taxes. I’ll keep taxes stable and predictable for seniors and young families, and I’ll fight for municipal aid so towns aren’t forced to raise property taxes or cut schools. I’ll expand proven relief like the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Child Tax Credit, and the property tax credit.

Housing: Housing is the biggest expense for most families, and I’ll work with our towns, not over them. Towns should take the lead on where and how they want to grow, and I’ll partner with local leaders to support their plans. I’ll prioritize repurposing existing buildings, like vacant offices and underused commercial space, so we add homes without overdeveloping, and I’ll protect our watershed and open space.

Health care and family costs: I’ll let small businesses pool together for lower-cost health coverage, push down the cost of prescriptions, protect and strengthen paid family and medical leave, and invest in and expand our childcare endowment.

Jobs: A stronger economy makes everything else easier, so I’ll invest in workforce training that keeps the people we train here in Connecticut, and help small businesses grow.

Washington: Regardless of who is in the White House, when federal cuts push costs onto Connecticut families, I’ll protect them, as the state’s federal cuts response fund has done for food assistance and health coverage.

I’ll do it with a disciplined, balanced budget and by working with anyone, in either party, who is serious about making Connecticut affordable again.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

The best evidence starts with my service on the Fairfield RTM, where I worked collaboratively with my colleagues, especially through the budget process, to deliver for Fairfield. I supported building a new Dwight Elementary and a new turf field at Warde High School, competitive pay so Fairfield can recruit and keep great teachers, and investments in public safety, arts, and culture. I also fought to restore funding for the Norma Pfriem Breast Center, a nonprofit that serves local families. When neighbors in some of our denser neighborhoods worried about developments that weren’t the right fit, I showed up and stood with them at Town Plan and Zoning meetings. It wasn’t in my purview on the RTM, but I believe neighbors should have a say on where and how they grow.

At the state level, I’ve worked to make healthcare more affordable for local municipalities, stabilize the Connecticut Municipal Employees Retirement System, and launch a small-business retirement savings program and a prescription drug discount card. I’ve also worked on balanced budgets and a historic Rainy Day Fund that helped carry Connecticut through an unprecedented pandemic.

Different levels of government, same approach: listen, build consensus, deliver results, and keep costs in check for families.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Yes. I’m running because affordability comes down to results. With my personal and professional experience, a strong record of community service, and a commitment to collaborative leadership, I know we can address these challenges in a real, meaningful way.

In Governor Lamont’s office, we worked with both parties to bring electric rates down and protect families when Washington cut funding. In Fairfield, I helped build schools, support our teachers, and keep taxes predictable.

That’s a real difference in this race. My opponent, who began this race by trying to primary State Senator Tony Hwang because he wasn't conservative enough, says we should eliminate the income tax, which is nearly half the state budget and would leave towns and schools making up the difference with significantly higher property and sales taxes. She opposed making Social Security benefits tax-free for seniors, and she said she would have opposed the fund that kept food assistance, mental health funding and health insurance coverage in place when Washington cut funding. Those aren’t the priorities or values of most families in this district.

I’ll protect seniors and young families, and work with anyone, in either party, who’s serious about making Connecticut affordable.