Candidate Profile: Craig Fishbein, 90th State House District

WALLINGFORD, CT — The 2026 election is heating up in Connecticut, and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Eyes are primarily focused on the Connecticut gubernatorial election, but every state representative and senate seat is up for grabs. All five of Connecticut's congressional seats are up for grabs as well.

There are 151 seats in the state House of Representatives and 36 in the state Senate. Democrats currently hold majorities in both chambers.

Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Craig Fishbein, 61, of Wallingford, is running for re-election to the House of Representatives in the 90th District, representing parts of Wallingford and all of Middlefield.

Party:

Republican

Campaign website:

https://www.Fishbein4CT.com

Occupation:

Trial Attorney, concentrating generally in the areas of divorce, domestic violence, civil and constitutional rights.

Family:

Married to Rhonda B. Fishbein for 34 years.

Does anyone in your family work in government?

No.

Previous public office:

Elected Public Offices: Wallingford Town Councilor (2010 to Present); State Representative for the 90th District (2016 to Present), Appointed Positions: State of Connecticut Board of Firearms Permit Examiners (2012 to 2016), State of Connecticut's Committee Regarding the Collateral Consequences of Having a Criminal Record (2018-2019); Town of Wallingford's ARPA Grants Review Committee (2022)

Why are you seeking this office?

To continue in my quest for smaller government, lower taxes, and less interference in the day-to-day affairs of our law-abiding citizens.

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

Affordability. A lot of which is fueled by the fact that many people in government have never run a business, nor taken a class in economics, and they treat tax dollars like they are theirs - which they aren't. Taxes should be cut, and also where they are spent on things other than essential government services more closely examined. All too often innocent taxpayers struggling to make a living are faced with a large tax bill, only to read of their money being wasted, or corrupted away. The arbitrary raising of the minimum wage has also created a dramatic increase in the cost of living here in Connecticut and, because subsequent increases are tied to the "cost of living," government has set up a downward economic spiral.

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

While this doesn't really affect most of the 90th district as Wallingford has its own electric company, I was the only Republican member of the House that voted against "the Millstone bill," and told my colleagues at the time that we would just see higher rates as a result. I was right. Also it was improper to allow the debt that makes up the Public Benefits charge to exceed that of any other state, or to apportion parts of it from ratepayers (who arguably benefit) to taxpayers, which in Wallingford's case have no direct connection. Those things have passed, but going forward it would be helpful to make it easier for ratepayers to have options for service through (for example) making municipal electric service more available in Connecticut. I see many of my constituents in Middlefield taking advantage of solar incentives, but the contracts tied to funding those homeowner projects should be closely looked at to prevent predatory lending. Last session I asked the General Law Committee to take a look at that aspect of energy production, and hope that they will take it up this coming session.

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

I believe that I already addressed that above.

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

During my time in the legislature I have gotten many laws amended or passed. That has taken significant work in Committee, as well as working together with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. My achievements in the legislature have resulted in many awards from various groups, just to name a few: AARP’s “Affordable Utilities Champion Award” – 2017; Family Institute of Connecticut’s “Charles Stetson Award” – 2022; Connecticut Police Chiefs Association “Legislator of the Year Award” – 2022; Connecticut Citizens Defense League’s “Legislator of the Year Award” – 2022 and 2024; and the

AARP's “Consumer Champion Award” – 2025.

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

I have never voted to raise your taxes. Neither as a member of the Wallingford Town Council, nor as the State Representative for the 90th District. With that dual-role in mind, the fact that I serve in two elected positions has been a benefit not only to the district itself, but to my town. For example, about five years ago, the state budget, passed after the local budget, resulting in about $2.4 Million more in state funding for the town than originally anticipated. Not many people were aware of this increase but, I was then able to, as a member of the Town Council directly decrease the tax increase that had been already passed locally because I was able to employ that knowledge prior to the local budget actually going into effect on July 1. Another example is knowing about local funding and school construction projects, I was able to get Middlefield more funding for the reconstruction of Middlefield Memorial School than what was originally allotted for RSD13. Another example is recently when the Town Council authorized the moving of Wallingford's Adult Education Program to Fairfield Boulevard from the downtown area, I was able to advocate at the state level for a change in bus route to provide transportation to this new site.