CT Patch Candidate Profile: Rachel Khanna For State Representative

GREENWICH, CT — Election Day on Nov. 5 is fast approaching, and there are a number of key races on the ballot in Greenwich.

Patch reached out to candidates for office to get more information on their campaigns and the issues that are facing the state and town.

Candidate’s Name

Rachel Khanna

What office are you seeking?

State Representative

District

149th
Campaign website

What city or town do you live in?

Greenwich

Party affiliation

Democrat (Note: I also received the endorsement of the Independent Party).

Education

I received my Bachelor's Degree in Political Science with a minor in Spanish from Bryn Mawr College, and a Master's Degree in Political Science from Columbia University.

Occupation

After receiving my Masters in Political Science from Columbia University, I worked in marketing services at Morgan Stanley Asset Management. I later trained as a chef, launched my own food delivery business, and published two cookbooks.

Family

I have lived in the 149th district for over 24 years with my wonderful husband, Jaideep. We have raised our four daughters in this district.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Aside from myself, one of my daughters works as a Deputy State Scheduler to U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal.

Previous public office, appointive or elective:

I was elected to represent the 149th district in 2022 and serve on the Appropriations Committee; Government, Administration, and Elections Committee; and the Transportation Committee. I am a member of the Reproductive Freedom, Early Childhood, Moderate, Bipartisan Women, Climate, and the Asian American and Pacific Islander Caucuses.

Prior to running for state office, I served for four years on the Greenwich town legislative body, the Representative Town Meeting. I have a long history of community engagement and advocacy, having volunteered as a patient escort for Planned Parenthood of Stamford, served on committees and boards of the Greenwich Newcomers’ Club, Kids in Crisis, Greenwich Audubon Center, and Parkway School PTA.

Age

52

Why are you seeking this office?

I first ran for state office in 2022 because the Supreme Court had just overturned Roe v. Wade. It was clear that women’s reproductive freedom was threatened at the state level, and I felt that I couldn’t stand on the sidelines. Also, as a taxpayer, I wanted to see our district get its fair share of dollars from Hartford. Our schools are aging and are not accessible to people with disabilities, our roads need updating, and we must improve pedestrian safety. When I ran in 2022, I promised to get to work and to fight for more funding from the state for Greenwich and Stamford. And I’m proud to say I’ve kept those promises by bringing home nearly $100 million in funding to the district, including for the Glenville corridor traffic improvement project, for the Central Middle School reconstruction and for so many nonprofits that serve our community.

What do you believe is the No. 1 issue facing Connecticut, and how do you plan to address it?

From the conversations I’m having with voters, the major issue is lowering the cost of living. From energy bills to childcare and taxes, residents in my district are looking for financial relief. The balanced budget, which I supported, makes great strides towards addressing this issue. We passed the largest income tax cut in state history, eliminated the tax on retirement income and reduced property taxes for retirees, made historic investments in K-12 and early childhood education, and delivered almost $100 million for Greenwich and Stamford, including funding for a new Roxbury School (Stamford) and Central Middle School (Greenwich). All of this (and more) was accomplished while adhering to our fiscal guardrails—paying down pension debt and fully funding our rainy day fund—work the three major credit rating agencies rewarded by improving the state’s credit rating. Through these efforts, we are now saving taxpayers $700 million a year. With respect to energy costs, new laws that are taking effect will begin to pay off in lower energy bills, something many of us have started to see. But more needs to be done. That's why I support: - More scrutiny to the commissioner appointment process so that we appoint PURA commissioners who will be pro-consumer, not pro-Eversource. - Moving the public benefits portion of the electricity bill to the general fund for improved transparency and elimination of what is essentially a regressive tax. - Exploring other energy sources, with an emphasis on sustainable sources, so our residents rely less on Eversource.

There have been an alarming number of deaths on Connecticut's roadways. Is there anything from a legislative standpoint that can be done to address that?

The number of road fatalities in CT has surged in recent years, and as a member of the Transportation Committee, I have been focused on reversing that trend. We adopted the Vision Zero Council’s recommendations, a comprehensive plan to prevent traffic deaths. We also passed a bill to prevent wrong-way driving. CT consistently ranks as having one of the highest rates of impaired driving. To change that, I voted for a bill to reduce the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers. In 2023, we passed a bill to require driver’s ed classes to cover driving under the influence of cannabis. I’ve also worked to bring back state dollars to improve road safety in our district. I helped secure $6.5 million in state funding to restart the Glenville corridor traffic improvement project, which had been stalled for eight years. This funding will improve pedestrian safety and reduce congestion in that part of town. We also helped close the deal on an $800,000 state grant to improve safety at three busy Greenwich intersections and $3 million for pedestrian improvements in Stamford. If re-elected, I will continue working to improve pedestrian and traffic safety because even one road accident is one too many.

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

I am a proven leader. I delivered exactly what I promised voters I would when I ran in 2022. In just two years, I brought back nearly $100 million to our district for our schools, road improvement projects, and nonprofits. My opponent said she would have voted against this funding for our district. I’ve cut taxes, protected local zoning, supported historic investments in K-12 education, strengthened reproductive rights, passed gun safety legislation, and most importantly, improved our state’s finances, earning upgrades from the three major credit agencies and saving taxpayers $700 million a year.

From a policy perspective, my opponent and I differ on the issue of reproductive freedom. She has written that she opposes the landmark Reproductive Freedom Defense Act (RFDA), a bill that passed with bipartisan support in 2022. As a member of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus and a former patient escort for Planned Parenthood in Stamford, I’m a staunch supporter of protecting access to reproductive care in our state. I am proud to have voted to expand the RFDA in 2023 to ensure medical professionals are protected from litigation, loss of their licenses, and exorbitant malpractice fees for providing care to women in need. People are noticing my accomplishments. I am proud to have won endorsements and recognitions from a broad range of organizations--the Democratic and Independent Parties, the CT Realtors Association, the Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood Votes!, CT Against Gun Violence, Moms Demand Action, the Uniformed Professional Fire Fighters of CT, the League of Conservation Voters, and others-- in support of my candidacy for another term. This includes a 100% score from the Connecticut Business and Industry Association.

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

Several years ago I started competing in triathlons. I’ve now swum 329 miles, biked 4,700 miles and run 2,500 miles. The experience taught me that with sweat, endurance and persistence, I can achieve what I set my mind to. That grit has been the secret to my achievements in the state assembly. In just two years, I’ve brought back nearly $100 million to Greenwich and Stamford for our schools, roads, and nonprofits. We’ve made historic investments in K-12 education. We’ve cut taxes, boosted our small businesses, protected seniors, strengthened voting rights, paid down our pension debt, and improved our state’s credit rating.

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

A source of great pride is the fact that 98% of the bills that became law in the 2023 and 2024 legislative sessions did so with bipartisan support. We work together and that’s something we can all be proud of. If I’m re-elected, I’ll keep fighting to make CT more affordable, to expand access to childcare and help parents get back to work, and to keep the funding coming for critical projects like the Glenville corridor and Central Middle School. And I’ll continue to make sure that we abide by our fiscal guardrails — which is what we’ve done — so that we can keep paying down our pension debt and make sure our rainy day fund stays fully funded. When people ask what’s next, I say more hard work. More results. More real progress for CT.