By Elizabeth Barhydt
Janet Stone McGuigan, a former member of the Greenwich Board of Selectmen and longtime community volunteer, announced Wednesday that she will seek election to represent Connecticut’s 36th State Senate District, joining a developing race that will determine the successor to State Sen. Ryan Fazio.
Ryan Fazio’s decision to run for governor has opened one of Connecticut’s most closely watched legislative seats, setting the stage for a competitive race in the district that includes Greenwich, New Canaan, and portions of Stamford.
McGuigan enters the race alongside two other candidates who have already announced campaigns. Greenwich Democrat Jill Oberlander, a former member of the Board of Selectmen and a longtime figure in municipal government, has entered the race with more than a decade of local public service. Republicans are expected to rally behind Joe Kelly, a former chairman of the Greenwich Board of Education and current member of the Board of Estimate and Taxation, known locally for his work building consensus on fiscal matters.
McGuigan stepped down in November after serving two terms on the Greenwich Board of Selectmen, where she was first elected in 2021 and re-elected in 2023. First Selectman Fred Camillo marked the end of her service by issuing a proclamation declaring Nov. 25, 2025, as Janet Stone McGuigan Day.
“Janet Stone McGuigan has been a distinguished member of the Board of Selectmen for the past four years, having been elected in 2021 and then reelected in 2023, serving honorably with a true sense of community service and dedication to Greenwich,” Camillo said when she stepped down. “During her tenure on the Board of Selectmen, Janet has been an advocate for transparency, careful and public deliberation of important matters…”
McGuigan currently serves as a member of the Representative Town Meeting and continues as co-chair of the Sustainability Committee at Camillo’s request. She is also a voting member of the Julian Curtiss School Building Committee.
Her civic involvement extends across a number of local organizations. McGuigan serves as a board member or advisor for Barbara’s House, Friends of the Wallace Senior Center, River House, Greenwich Green and Clean, Friends of Binney Park, and the Greenwich Point Conservancy.
Her volunteer work in Greenwich dates to 2006, when she and her family moved to the town, her husband’s hometown. Since then she has served in leadership roles with the Greenwich League of Women Voters, the Junior League, and the Greenwich PTA Council.
Before entering local government, McGuigan worked as a policy analyst and later as a mediator for federal regulatory negotiations. She holds undergraduate degrees in civil engineering and economics from Cornell University and a master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
In announcing her candidacy, McGuigan framed her campaign around economic and community concerns facing residents of the district.
“Our District deserves strong, thoughtful representation in Hartford—someone who will fight for our democratic principles while also tackling the issues families face every day.
