Ganong: Row C = A Message

(Opinion) My name is Sarah Ganong. Folks in New Haven might recognize me from last year’s ballot for mayor, when I ran to secure future municipal ballot access for the Working Families Party on Row C. I only needed 1 percent of the vote to get it done, but the remarkable, grassroots support of our community brought nearly eight times that. I was inspired again and again by the excitement I heard about bringing Row C and the Working Families Party to New Haven elections.

The message was clear: New Haven voters want to say more when we vote.

This Election Day, the future of our entire state is at stake. There has never been a better moment to vote Row C and send a clear, progressive message. When you vote for a candidate on Row C — the Working Families line — you’re not just voting for the best candidate. Row C votes let your elected officials know that you want them to fight for a progressive, pro-worker agenda.

A vote on Row C means no longer forcing workers to choose between keeping their incomes and caring for a new baby or an aging parent. It means ensuring all students, regardless of color or economic status, receive a strong public education in a well funded learning environment. It means paying our working people a real living wage, not poverty wages. It means protecting our clean elections so that they are decided by Connecticut’s voters, rather than bankrolled by the highest out-of-state bidders. It means secure retirements, debt-free college, universal healthcare, and so much more.

The more votes on Row C, the more momentum there is behind values like these. That’s how we get big things done. And we’ve done it in the past. From passing paid sick days, to past minimum wage increases and implementing a new retirement savings program, WFP voters have already made our state a better place to live and raise a family. Together, let’s build on that progress.

I hope you’ll join me in voting Row C.