Candidate Profile: Paul Honig, 8th Senate District

The 2022 election is heating up in Connecticut and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Eyes are primarily focused on the gubernatorial election, but every state representative and senate seat is up for grabs. All five of Connecticut's congressional seats are up for grabs as well.

There are 151 seats in the state House of Representatives and 36 in the state Senate.

Democrats currently hold majorities in both chambers over Republicans in the House, 97-54, and in the Senate, 24-12.

Connecticut Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Democrat Paul Honig of Harwinton is running for a term in the state Senate, 8th District. He is running against Republican hopeful Lisa Seminara of Avon.

The Senate seat serves Norfolk, Hartland, Canton, Simsbury, New Hartford, Avon, Barkhamsted, Colebrook and parts of Granby, Harwinton and Torrington.

The seat is currently held by state Sen. Kevin Witkos, R-Canton, who is not seeking another term.

Age: 59

Party affiliation: Democrat

Occupation: Retired after 22 years in fixed income finance.

Education: 1985 University of Pennsylvania dual-degree management and technology program; BSE majoring in finance from the Wharton School of Business; BAS concentrating in computer science from the School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Previous elected/appointed experience: I'm on my second term on the board of selectmen in Harwinton.

Family: I live with my wife, Diane and our two sons, Jake (23) and Harry (20)

Campaign website: https://paulhonigforstatesenat...

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
No

Why are you seeking this office?

I’m running because I want to improve the lives of people in the 8th Senatorial District and Connecticut.

We have a legislature made up of citizen representatives. I believe that my experience and skill set would be a valuable addition to the state Senate.

I spent my entire career solving complex financial problems not unlike those our state faces every fiscal year.

I can add real value addressing issues like our long-term liabilities and creating sustainable budgets that the taxpayers of our state can afford.

With recent decisions handed down by the Supreme Court, it’s more important than ever that our representatives in the General Assembly share our values.

I believe in a woman’s right to choose, common-sense gun safety legislation, protecting the environment, free and fair elections, properly funding our schools and police.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single biggest issue facing my constituents is affordability.

Connecticut is an expensive place to live. With the current surplus, I’m committed to finding ways to reduce taxes on working families, but it’s not just taxes that are the problem.

It’s the cost of health care, housing, electricity, education and internet access.
We need to make progress on all of these fronts, but for me the cost of health care and prescription drugs is most pressing.

It’s a burden on individuals, it’s a huge burden on businesses, and municipal and state budgets.
I’ve heard countless stories from residents struggling to pay for their prescription drugs.

In recent years, the state passed a landmark transparency law aimed at shining a light on the byzantine and opaque process for pricing prescription drugs.

Drug companies are required to provide an explanation when the price of a drug increases above a threshold, but the law has no teeth.

I support creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Board like several other states have done which would have the authority to cap drug prices when they're priced unfairly.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I’ve been very clear with my positions on abortion and gun safety legislation, two issues that are very important to the residents of the 8th District.

I’m proud to have been endorsed by Planned Parenthood and received the Moms Demand Action Gunsense Candidate Distinction.

My opponent has been silent on both these issues.

I challenged my opponent to a series of debates. She didn’t respond. I accepted an invitation from the League of Women Voters of Litchfield County to debate on Oct. 17 in Torrington.

My opponent declined.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Protecting our environment is important to me. I’m proud to have been endorsed by the Connecticut League of Conservations voters.

The closing of the MIRA trash to energy plant in Hartford presents an opportunity to create a more sustainable waste disposal system by reducing the waste stream through additional composting and recycling.

Free and fair elections are crucial to our democracy.

I support increased ballot access to eligible voters through no excuse absentee ballots and early voting.

I am a founding member of Voter Choice CT, a grassroots organization advocating for ranked choice voting in Connecticut.

Seniors contribute so much to our communities. I support expanding tax exemptions on retirement income and protecting the services that seniors rely on like Meals on Wheels and the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program.

Many parents have expressed concerns over the safety of their children in schools.
School safety requires common sense gun safety legislation as well as threat assessment and management protocols.

We are a leader on the former, but lag behind other states on the latter.

The state can provide assistance by standardizing the creation of multi-disciplinary teams and providing training to members of those teams.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I had a successful, 22-year career working in fixed income finance, the first 12 years writing software for bond traders and salesmen, the last 10 years working on an interest rate trading desk.

My work in fixed income finance is exactly the type of experience you’d want to bring to the table to solve our state’s issues with long term liabilities.

I’m currently serving my second term on the board of selectman in Harwinton.

I have a record of voting for fiscally responsible bipartisan budgets. I’m proud that the budget that I supported this year led to a reduction in the town’s property tax rate.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

My mother took graduate school courses throughout her adult life. She told me that learning is a lifelong process.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I’ve spent hundreds of hours outdoors on my bicycle since April and have knocked on more than 6,000 doors.

I do it because I care about what the people I hope to represent are thinking.

I intend to bring that same dedication to my service as a state senator.

I’ve heard countless personal stories from residents of the district and will carry them with me into the senate. I’ll listen to what the voters of the district think and be honest and transparent about my positions.