'Lifelong Democrat' Karen Martin Announces Campaign for State Representative Challenging Incumbent

Submitted by Karen Martin, candidate for 99th Assembly seat, current East Haven Town Councilor

Karen Martin, a lifelong Democrat, healthcare professional, and current East Haven Town Councilor, announced her candidacy for State Representative, pledging to bring strong Democratic values, practical experience, and a deep commitment to community service to Hartford.

"I am a fierce, dyed-in-the-wool Democrat,” Martin said. “I believe deeply in the core values of
our party — equality, justice, accountability, transparency, majority rule with minority rights,
free and fair elections, and the necessity of compromise to achieve the common good and do
the most good for the most people."

Martin’s beliefs are rooted in a 40-year career in healthcare. She began working at age 18 as
a nurse’s aide, providing hands-on care to some of the most vulnerable individuals in society.
She later studied Radiologic Technology at what was then South Central Community College
(now Gateway Community College), earning an Associate Degree and working as an X-ray
technologist at Yale New Haven Hospital. Her diagnostic imaging career spanned four
decades at Yale, where she cared for patients during some of the most difficult moments of
their lives. She retired recently, after 40 years of service.

In 2007, Martin completed her Bachelor’s Degree at Albertus Magnus College, graduating
Magna Cum Laude. Her academic focus blended general education with extensive
coursework in philosophy and religion—disciplines that sharpened her grounding in ethics,
logic, and respect for diverse beliefs.

Martin’s public service record includes her appointment, with the mayor’s support, to the East
Haven Zoning Board of Appeals, where she later served as chair. There, she worked directly
with residents seeking fair and reasonable solutions for their homes, learning firsthand the
value of compromise within community boundaries.

Currently serving her third term on the East Haven Town Council, Martin says representing
her district and working for the entire town has been one of the most rewarding roles of her
life.

"I love serving my community," she said. "I want to continue that work at the next level by
becoming East Haven’s State Representative."

Martin emphasized the importance of Democratic leadership in the General Assembly, noting
that Democrats currently hold a strong majority in the State House and Senate. She believes
East Haven stands to benefit greatly from having a Democrat advocating directly for the town
at the state level.

"Working alongside neighboring Democratic representatives and leaders across the region,
we can tackle the issues that matter most to East Haven—bringing down the cost of living,
improving access to affordable healthcare, housing, and energy, investing in early childhood
education and our schools while maintaining strong fiscal guardrails," Martin said. "These are
the priorities our community deserves."

With her retirement from healthcare, Martin says she now has the time and energy to fully
devote herself to public service.

"This is my second career—serving my community—and I am ready to give it everything I have," she said.

Martin closed with a call to action.

"This will be a hard-fought campaign, and I can’t do it alone. I need the support, the energy, and the partnership of this community. East Haven deserves better—and together, we can make it happen."

Karen A Martin
East Haven Town Councilor; District 2
EHDTC Co-VC
15 Oak Grove Rd
East Haven, CT 06512
203-605-1006