CT 3rd Congressional District Race: DeLauro, DeNardis, Chai, Paglino

CONNECTICUT — Four candidates are vying to represent the 3rd Congressional District this year. Incumbent Rep. Rosa DeLauro will face off against Hamden Republican Lesley DeNardis, Independent Party candidate Dr. Amy Chai, and Green Party candidate Dr. Justin Paglino.

Rosa DeLauro

Democrat Rosa DeLauro has represented Connecticut’s 3rd Congressional District since she was elected in 1990.

She serves as the chair of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations. DeLauro accomplished her long-time mission of an expanded child tax credit when the American Rescue Act passed Congress.

She grew up in New Haven’s Wooster Square neighborhood, and her mother Luisa DeLauro was the longest-serving member of the New Haven Board of Aldermen.

She helped double funding for the federal Income Home Energy Assistance Program and helped pass the Affordable Care Act. DeLauro is a 30-year ovarian cancer survivor and advocates for increased biomedical research, according to her campaign profile.

Lesley DeNardis (Republican)

DeNardis was born, raised and lives in Hamden where she serves as an at-large member of the town’s legislative council. She also served on the Hamden Board of Education and Planning and Zoning Commission.

She is the vice president of academic affairs at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell. Her father, Lawrence DeNardis, was the last Republican to represent the Third Congressional District.

DeNardis believes that failed tax and spending policies contributed to national inflation, and she would help reign in government spending if elected, according to her campaign website.

Amy Chai(Independent)

Political division has hurt the country, Chai said in her campaign biography.

The country needs more mental health support programs, less globalism and better science literacy, she said.

She also believes that there should be a tax per stock trade to discourage people from playing the market without adding anything back to the economy.

Justin Paglino (Green Party)

Dr. Justin Paglino ran for the same seat in 2020, but lost to DeLauro. He works in viral medical research.

Paglino supports a single-payer Medicare system, ranked choice voting, moving the country to 100 percent renewable energy and a living minimum wage.