Basic Information
Full Name: Rachel Khanna
Office Sought: State Representative – 149th District
Contact Information
rachelforct149@gmail.com,
(203) 564-9516, www.rachelforct149.com
General Questions
Top Three Priorities if Elected
– Affordability. The number 1 issue facing Connecticut residents is the high cost of living. If I’m re-elected, I’ll work to make Connecticut more affordable by expanding access to childcare so that parents can get back to work, lowering energy costs and keeping the funding coming from the state for critical projects in our district.
– Fiscal responsibility. I’ll continue to make sure that we adhere to our fiscal guardrails — which is what we’ve done — so that we can keep paying down our pension debt, work that is currently saving taxpayers nearly $700 million per year; and make sure our rainy day fund stays fully funded.
– Support our businesses. I will advance legislation to promote business growth, address our worker shortage, and improve the regulatory environment so our businesses can thrive.
And as I have for the past two years, I will continue to fight for the funding we need in Greenwich and Stamford for local projects that improve the quality of life, enjoyment and safety of our district.
In short, more hard work. More results. More real progress for Connecticut. I’m ready.
Professional, Volunteer, or
Public Service Experience
My record in my first term as your state representative is one of success. I voted for the largest income tax cut in state history, helped pass a balanced budget, brought home $100 million for my district and partnered with colleagues across the aisle to get important protections for our first responders.
Before running for state office, I served on the Greenwich Representative Town Meeting, I started my own food delivery business and published two cookbooks. I volunteered as a patient escort for Planned Parenthood of Stamford and served on committees and boards of the Greenwich Newcomers’ Club, Kids in Crisis, Greenwich Audubon Center, and Parkway School PTA. All of these endeavors strengthened my ties to the community and informs my work in the state legislature.
Policy Questions
Local Control: How do you propose to protect your district’s control over zoning decisions? What is your approach to balancing affordable housing needs with preserving the town’s character?
My family moved to Greenwich 24 years ago and this is where we raised our 4 daughters. I love this community, and I don’t want the state telling us where, when and how to add additional development. Local governments know best where their community can absorb more housing.
I ran on a promise to protect local zoning control and that is exactly what I have done. I voted against a “Fair Share” bill in 2023 which would have essentially turned over housing development policy to a state agency.
And when the “Work Live Ride” bill came up in 2024, and it was obvious that bill would pass with or without my vote, I worked behind the scenes with local zoning advocates to eliminate the risk to Greenwich by making sure that the bill was truly opt-in, with no mandates or penalties for towns that choose not to participate. The work I did on that bill language, along with my colleagues Reps Arzeno and Meskers, that led to protecting local zoning authority, earned us a statement of appreciation from the Chairperson of the Greenwich Planning and Zoning Commission.
I want to address Connecticut’s housing shortage, which is hurting young families, seniors, and holding back our economy. But the solution must come from local governments and be backed by state carrots, not sticks.
Utilities: What steps have you taken/will you take to address rising costs of electricity, natural gas, and water? Please explain your stand on the current situation with Aquarion.
The electricity bills that we received this summer were a shock to us all. Neither businesses nor households can budget with that kind of price volatility. Although the reasons behind most of that increase have to do with a deal to save the Millstone nuclear power plant, a deal made long before I was elected, we need a solution now.
I believe that a one-day special legislative session to deal with electricity rates would not address the wide-ranging solutions that are needed to address this issue. I support real broader solutions that include the following: 1) removing the public benefits portion from the electricity bill so it stops being a hidden regressive tax; 2) pursuing regional power purchase agreements in order to find savings; 3) improving the vetting of PURA commissioners to make sure that they are pro-consumer, and not just looking out for Eversource shareholders.
The potential sale of Aquarion to the Regional Water Authority (RWA) will need to be approved by PURA, and will include a review process that requires public hearings. This sale must be cautiously considered because we need to tread carefully to make sure that water remains affordable to all of our residents.
Economy: How will you address the economic challenges posed by inflation? What legislative measures will you support to ease the financial burden on households and businesses in your district?
In 2023, we passed the largest state personal income tax cut in Connecticut history, and we expanded tax exemptions for pension income. I also support eliminating the estate tax.
Over the last two years, our Democratic delegation has succeeded in bringing more than $100 million in taxpayer dollars back to this district. This money will be used to rebuild Central Middle School and renovate Roxbury Elementary School, to reduce traffic congestion and to improve pedestrian safety, and to fund the nonprofits that provide social services to our community. Securing these grants from the state means that we don’t have to use property taxes to pay for this work, which benefits us all.
In the past two sessions, I voted for several bills to help small businesses grow and thrive, including: reducing the number of reporting requirements; expanding the JobsCT tax rebate program to increase employment and job creation; cutting business taxes to promote expansion of childcare facilities; and to create association health plans that allow small businesses to work together to offer health insurance to their employees.
I frequently hear from working families, particularly ones living on a single paycheck, that they are struggling to find affordable childcare. Increasing access to childcare makes it possible for both parents to get back to work, significantly boosting the family income. That is why I sponsored several bills to make early childhood education more affordable and accessible.
Supermajority: What does having a supermajority in the Connecticut legislature
mean to you and to your district?
The Greenwich Democratic delegation in the State House has been tremendously successful in bringing taxpayer dollars back home for our community because, as members of the majority party, we have leverage. This has amounted to $100 million for Greenwich and Stamford.
The minority party has numerous tools at its disposal to stop legislation they oppose – from adding amendments to threatening to filibuster – which have been deployed effectively every year.
Further, it’s a mistake to assume that all Democrats think and vote alike. I am an independent thinker and a member of the Moderate Caucus. I am quite capable of breaking with my party to protect the interests of my district. Two recent examples: I voted no on the Fair Share housing bill to protect our local zoning control and yes on an amendment to restore police consent searches, breaking with my party to do so.
Bipartisanship: How would you describe the current political environment in Connecticut? If elected, how will you contribute to improving the tone of political discourse and foster cooperation among different political viewpoints?
Hartford is not like Washington, DC. We work in a collegial, productive and bipartisan way. I am proud that 98% of bills we passed over the past 2 years were passed with bipartisan support. I have developed bills and co-sponsored them with Republican colleagues. I first had experience with working in a bipartisan manner during my four years on the Greenwich Representative Town Meeting. My willingness to work across party lines has earned me the endorsement of both the Independent and Democratic parties.
Your View: What should we have asked that we did not?
What are the main things that set me apart?
They are the following:
– I am proven. I have successfully delivered unprecedented financial returns for this district. Through advocacy, we brought back roughly $20 million for Central Middle School, $15 million more than expected, secured $6.5 million for a long-stalled traffic improvement project in Glenville, and just recently brought $1.8 million to improve broadband in Greenwich.
– I am endorsed by a broad group of organizations. have earned a 100% score from the CT Business and Industry Association, was endorsed by the CT Realtors Association, the Independent Party, the Firefighters Association, as well as CT Against Gun Violence, Moms Demand Action, Planned Parenthood, the Sierra Club, the CT League of Conservation Voters, and others.
– I am experienced. I have served two terms on the Representative Town Meeting, and one term as your incumbent state representative.
– I am pro-choice. I support the protections of the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act that Connecticut passed in 2022 to expand abortion access, protect patient privacy and shield medical professionals from prosecution emanating from states with restrictive abortion laws. I am the candidate in this race who supports the Reproductive Freedom Defense Act and the way it expands abortion access. I know that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and World Health Organization support the provisions in this bill and I believe in science and in listening to advice from experts in the field. Last year, I voted to further expand the protections afforded by that law. I am the candidate in this race endorsed by Planned Parenthood because of my proven record.
