Connecticut’s 5th congressional district has historically been a strong Democratic district. For the past 11 years, CT-05 has been a safe win for Democratic candidates, but with America’s recent trend of political division that may not be the case for so long. Constituents want representatives that share their same values and are qualified for their role, but voters get to decide those qualifications. With a race as tight and influential as CT-05, it is our civic duty to understand who we vote to keep in office.
Background
Before starting her career as a state representative, Jahana Hayes began as a teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Waterbury. Hayes dedicated her life to education, and with a master’s in curriculum and instruction she has excelled in the education field. In her 15 years as an educator she received countless awards for her excellence in education. Not only did she receive Waterbury’s teacher of the year, but also Connecticut’s, and ultimately in 2016 National Teacher of the Year where she became an ambassador for public education.
Her life as a teacher was substantial, to her and those around her. Hayes says, “education saved her life,” but she has also dedicated her life to changing and improving the way we view education. She told the Washington Post, “we’ve spent a lot of time in the last few years talking about the things that are not working. We really need to shift our attention to all the things that are working.” And that thinking led her to commit herself to represent the 5th congressional district of Connecticut as the first black woman.
As the incumbent congresswoman, Hayes has set herself up to be a very strong candidate in 2024. Coming from two strong Democratic years in 2018 and 2020, Hayes won nearly 40,000 more votes than her opponents. But 2022 came as a surprise to most, as Hayes won over her opponent, George Logan, by only 2,000 votes. In 2024, Hayes and Logan run against each other again in another tight election, one that is pivotal to the power struggle in the House of representatives.
Issues
During Hayes’ five years in congress she has already passed many laws to benefit the lives of CT-05’s constituents, and she has already committed herself to further that goal. Many of the issues Hayes focuses on for 2024 are ones that interest the whole of the US & Connecticut very greatly. On her website she focuses on 14 key issues:
- Protecting the Right to Choose
- LGBTQ+ rights
- Education
- CT Agriculture
- Healthcare
- Veterans
- Immigration
- Economy
- Infrastructure Investments
- Environment
- Food Security
- Gun violence
- Equity & Social Justice
- Covid-19 response
In 2024, young voters are key to the election. Tufts’ Center for information & Research on Civic Learning And Education (CIRCLE) highlights three issues that resonate most with young voters: climate change, abortion, and gun violence.
Environment
Climate change is a massive and very real issue. Voters know that. Hayes is very committed to the issue, and has taken all the steps necessary to end climate change. She calls it, “a civil rights, economic, and public health issue,” and she reaffirms it is a top issue for her. Her support extends all the way from voting for the Inflation Reduction Act, which would reduce U.S. carbon emissions by 40% by the year 2030, to cosponsoring The Green New Deal, which commits to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
Protecting the Right to Choose
As a Democrat it may not come as a surprise that Jahana Hayes stands for protecting the right to choose, but her commitment is made more influential coming from the overturning of Roe v. Wade. On her website Hayes says the overturning “goes against the spirit of the Constitution,” she goes on to say that “(she) will continue to fight so these rights are not undermined at the federal level.” As the leading state in the nation for access to abortion, having a representative that continues to fight for that right is important.
Gun Violence
Gun control and gun violence have been issues prevalent in the US for many years now, but the recent influx of school shootings have made gun control a much more pressing issue to those actually affected; young voters. People want representatives that will support and fight for what they believe in, and they want reassurance that those representatives will take real action. Hayes’ background as a teacher, and as the wife of a police officer gives her the knowledge of what gun safety should look like.
In congress she has supported reforms on assault weapon and ghost gun bans, safe storage requirements, and universal background checks. She has also voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which has been one of the largest violence prevention acts. It has enhanced background checks, expanded mental health services, bans gun trafficking, and so much more. As a state that has witnessed what can happen when guns get into the wrong hands, it is clear that a representative that supports massive reforms to gun control is one that speaks for the whole state.
Education
Hayes’ background helps her greatly on the issue of education. Though it may not be a key issue for young voters, the issue still resonates with voters across the country. Hayes is a member of the Education and Labor Committee, where she has committed herself to address the education issues of the nation. There she has supported, and co-led, several pieces of legislation such as the Build Back Better Act and the National Apprenticeship Act. Both these laws are influential for the funding of special education, lowering the cost of childcare, and expanding apprenticeship opportunities.
As the election comes closer voters should know who they are voting for, especially with an election as influential as this. This election can decide the presidency, the house, and the senate. With a country as polarized as this, the power struggle comes down to races as small as the one in CT-05. Jahana Hayes has proved herself as a candidate that stands for the values of Connecticut, and she is more than qualified to continue her political career as the representative of Connecticut’s 5th congressional district.
