Cartier to Challenge Meyer for State Senate Seat

Guilford Selectman Cindy Cartier will be announcing her candidacy for State Senate for the 12th District encompassing the towns of Branford, Durham, Guilford, Killingworth, Madison and North Branford on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. at Anthony’s Restaurant in Guilford.

Cartier has served on the Guilford Board of Selectman for two terms.  She has also served as a member of the Board of Education in Guilford for three years and a member of the Planning and Zoning Commission for four years.

Cartier has been a practicing attorney for over 20 years. She is currently employed as an Assistant General Counsel with Nationwide Insurance Company where she serves as the legal contact for the New England Region providing counsel on all regulatory and compliance matters.  She also owns and operates New England Car Wash in Branford with her husband Richard. They expanded their business last summer opening a second location in Waterford, CT.

“I have had the honor of serving the residents of Guilford for the last 13 years.  During my work in local government, I have developed a greater understanding of the problems that face the towns in the 12th Senate District,” says Cartier. 

“Unfortunately, our state and communities are in trouble. I have experienced first hand the effect that stalled budgets, loss of jobs and revenue, growth of government and lack of leadership has had on the taxpayers of our district.  These concerns provided the impetus for the decision to run for the 12th Senate seat this November.”

Cartier has provided strong leadership on all of the boards on which she has had the pleasure of serving. While serving as Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Committee, she instituted the committee structure and reestablished the zoning committee that completed the Rt. 1 East/West Study that resulted in properly implemented regulations.  As a member of the Board of Education serving as Chairman of the Policy Committee, she provided leadership to other members and together revamped the policy manual.  In addition, she instituted a Wellness Policy that has had positive results on the health of the children attending the Guilford School District.  

“I believe that the role of Government is to not just make laws and govern, but to provide support where needed to citizens, including enacting programs that incentivize rather than mandate behaviors,” Cartier says.

As a member of the Board of Selectman, Cartier developed and implemented an Employee Wellness Committee that has sponsored health fairs, seminars, lunches, fitness programs and wellness challenges to employees at no cost to the town.  “Our health care providers have noted positive trends as a result of the efforts of this program, which has been in existence for just over a year.”   

“I have had numerous folks from both sides of the aisle encouraging me to run for the Senate based upon my background and experience for getting things done.  In the past 2 years, our State has gone from bad to worse.  Despite experiencing the biggest tax increase in Connecticut’s history last year, we are now facing a $150 million dollar budget deficit for this fiscal year with millions more projected over the next several years, underfunded pension account and reduced bond rating limiting our capacity to borrow. Taxpayers face the third-highest tax burden in the nation as our unemployment rate has climbed over 9 percent, the highest in our state since 1976,” says Cartier. 

“The citizens are tired of the same old talk from our elected leaders with no action.  We need to turn this around quickly or Connecticut will continue to decline with no hope for renewal. I have the skills to revitalize our State to better fiscal health.”  

Cartier, mother of a 9 year old boy and 6 month old girl, is passionate about leading our district in the right direction for the next generation.  “We have an obligation not only to those around us today, but to the next generation, to do a better job of planning for the future.  We have the necessary tools, knowledge and resources and we should be in a much better position than we are today.  We can do better and with the right leadership, we will!”

For those interested in attending the announcement event or getting involved with the campaign, please contact Selectman Cartier at (203) 916-2430 or email her at cynthia.cartier@comcast.net. 

Submitted press release