Candidate Profile: Paul Cicarella, 34th State Senate District

NORTH HAVEN, CT — The 2024 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 U.S. presidential election, but every state representative and senate seat is up for grabs. All five of Connecticut's congressional seats, plus one U.S. Senate seat, 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.

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

Paul Cicarella, 41, of North Haven, is running for re-election to the 34th state senate district, representing Durham, East Haven, North Branford, North Haven and Wallingford.

Campaign website

Party affiliation: Republican (cross endorsed by CT Independent Party)

Education: East Haven High School & Springfield Technical Community College

Occupation: Small Business owner

Family: Wife, Christy/Daughter, Giada (12)/Son, Paulie (10).

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

Previous public office, appointive or elective:

Two-term incumbent State Senator, 34th District

Why are you seeking this office?

I am seeking a third term to represent the families of the 34th District because I have lived in this district my entire life and am now raising a family here. As a volunteer and small business owner, I understand the many challenges that we face, foremost of which is the unaffordable cost of living. I have worked over the past four years to offer and support solutions to restore public safety in our towns, address affordability, and tackle other quality-of-life issues for our seniors and Veterans. I look forward to continuing this work when reelected.

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

Affordability is the main issue facing families, businesses, and those on fixed incomes in our state. To address this, we must find ways to make Connecticut friendlier to the business community by reducing red tape and mandates. With deficits expected in coming years, we must hold the line on spending and keep the existing fiscal guardrails in place that have kept us on strong financial footing. What we need from here is a way to return more money to the taxpayers, who are all struggling to afford necessities. The cost of energy is also a vital component to an attractive and affordable state. Since 2023, I have supported and advocated for policies that would reduce the cost of energy in the state while also considering the environmental impact. I will continue to offer similar ideas to help families, businesses, and seniors who are being crushed by skyrocketing energy costs.

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?

Safety on our roads all begins with the men and women who protect them--our state and local law enforcement. The approach is common sense. Number one, the legislature and Governor must empower law enforcement to recruit, retain and fully staff our state and local police. How? Over the past years, I've supported Senate Republican ideas to create a jobs pipeline between Connecticut's universities and law enforcement agencies and expand police explorer programs. The fact is that we need MORE law enforcement on the road to deter reckless driving and enforce the laws on the books. Second, we must support officers with tools and resources that they need to do their job, and hold individuals who continue to break the law accountable. This is accomplished by providing funding for social/data intelligence (which is another Republican proposal, and is currently proving to be effective with deterring violent street takeovers). There is no question that driver impairment and smoking cannabis while driving is a huge problem on our roads in part because smoking cannabis is now legal in certain settings. While legal, this poses a threat from drivers that operate under the influence of the substance. Numerous stories have outlined concerns over an increase in impaired driving in the past few years, including those impaired by cannabis. Last year, I requested a bill that revises state statutes permitting law enforcement to conduct a motor vehicle stop when they witness a driver or passenger smoking cannabis. Connecticut law currently prohibits such motor vehicle stops. Unfortunately, the Democratic majority chose not to advance this bill. More broadly, consent searches as a whole are a useful tool to not only keep our roads safer, but also to proactively deter other crimes. I supported a Senate Republican initiative in 2021 to refine the existing ban on consent searches to permit certain ones, following criteria such as the law enforcement officer has reasonable and articulable suspicion that weapons, contraband, or other evidence of a crime is contained within the vehicle, and that a law enforcement officer who solicits consent to search a motor vehicle shall, whether or not the consent is granted, complete a police report documenting the reasonable and articulable suspicion for the solicitation of consent. We also must address the increased number of vehicles that are fleeing the police who are trying to pull them over. I supported and developed a crime prevention plan and partnered with law enforcement to deter juvenile crime. At the same time, I fought against soft-on-crime policies that negatively affect law enforcement efforts and the recruitment and retention of officers.

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

I have a proven track record of advocating for my constituents as their elected representative in the legislature. I have done this by taking the time to listen to the issues that matter most to them, and advocating for their needs whether in my legislative committee work, or when voting on a bill that will impact their lives.

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

As a freshman state senator, I was proud to shepherd a measure on behalf of constituents who tragically lost their son. The bill, known as "Tristan's Law," which increases safety measures on frozen dessert trucks, was signed by Gov. Lamont in 2021. I also supported key measures that: -Expand when police and fire chiefs can declare a line-of-duty death in honor of fallen North Haven Firefighter Anthony DeSimone -Create the "Fallen Officer Fund" to provide payments to the family of a police officer killed in the line of duty. -Provide students with path to financial success through financial literacy courses in high school. -Expand the education-to-workforce pipeline and connect youth at an early age to career paths. -Exempt Veterans who have a service-connected permanent and total disability from property tax.

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

I choose to listen to what's important and what matters to my constituents, focusing on policy and not party. For this reason, I have also been endorsed by Connecticut's Independent Party.