2026 Candidate Questionnaire: Justin Perry for State Senator, 25th District

Why are you running for this seat, and what makes you qualified to represent the 25th District?

As a cancer biologist, I have dedicated my life to understanding and discovering cures for some of the most devastating human diseases. I believe the qualities that have informed my work as a scientist – compassion, drive, integrity – make me well-qualified to serve the residents of the 25th District.

I am running because I believe that the actions we take now have long-lasting consequences, positive and negative, for our children in the future. Our children, who I believe will be great sources of innovation and discovery, need us to be better fiscal stewards today for them to be able to realize their immense potential tomorrow.

The current state government’s lack of fiscal sanity, led by my opponent in the State Senate, became something I just could not ignore as a current and expecting father.

What are the top three issues you’d focus on in Hartford if elected, and why?

Affordability, affordability, and affordability. My opponent has been in office for more than 20 years and CT Democrats have had state-level legislative control since 1992 with the Governor’s office since 2011. This period, despite occurring during both Democratic and Republican Presidential administrations, has brought about the 3rd highest electricity costs, 3rd highest tax burden, and 3rd highest property taxes. In return, CT Democrats have fostered the 3rd worst State in new business creation, the 7th worst State for new business friendliness, the 2nd worst unemployment rate, and the worst government debt per capita in the country.

Affordability matters because it affects everything. For instance, the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula my opponent ushered in has led to chronic underfunding of Norwalk schools. Underfunding results in too few teachers who are paid too little, the consequences of which are profound, with math and reading proficiency scores at 20% and 30%, respectively.

Editor’s Note: The candidate’s original response accidentally misstated how long Connecticut Democrats have held the Governor’s office. He sent in a correction the day of publication.

Connecticut faces ongoing budget pressure from the fiscal guardrails. Would you keep, change, or repeal them, and why?

Republicans, led by Ryan Fazio, Tom O’Dea, and others, formulated a budget that would fully fund schools and other essential services without the need to call an “emergency” and blow through the fiscal guardrails. Democrats, led by my opponent, chose to violate our bipartisan fiscal guardrail law because doing so would allow them to spend taxpayer dollars on projects politically beneficial to them. In Congress, this is known as ‘pork’ and such spending unfortunately also occurs in the CT legislature.

So, yes, I would keep the guardrails in place because the long-term fiscal health of our State is essential if we ever want to turn things around, including improving the education of our children and supporting the creation and growth of new businesses. We cannot do those things so long as we continue to have the highest government debt in the country.

What’s your position on state funding for public schools, including how it affects Norwalk specifically?

When I learned about the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula, the formula supported by my opponent and his Democratic colleagues that decides how tax dollars are distributed to localities for education, I found it hard to believe that such an egregious policy has not been corrected after it has proven time and again to be a failure.

Norwalk sends the 8th most income tax to the State yet receives only a fraction of it back for education and other costs. This is why, despite Democrats like my opponent touting the modest increase in allocation from the State, Norwalk has had to significantly increase property taxes. The ECS formula must be revised, if not repealed and replaced. Additionally, we must fix the formulas used for State-mandated education programs so that the State pays a predictable, and fair, amount instead of leaving localities with unexpected costs.

Housing costs and availability are a major concern across Fairfield County. What state-level changes would you support to address this?

In recent years, my opponent and his Democratic colleagues have passed a host of bills, such as H.B. 8002 and S.B. 151, that claim to address the affordability crisis but do the opposite. Instead, these bills introduce numerous one-size-fits-all mandates that force the building of expensive housing without consideration of infrastructure readiness, such as sewer and other public services capacity. These mandates also significantly increase the financial and administrative burdens on localities, the costs of which are passed onto taxpayers.

Democrats passed on all of these increased costs without any consideration of the obvious solutions to lower the cost to build homes: reduce cumbersome State regulations, eliminate unfunded building mandates, address ever-increasing high energy costs, and cut the excessive business taxes and licensing fees that inflate wage and payroll costs.

Where do you stand on state investment in public transit, including Metro-North and local bus service?

The decision to invest money in transportation is important but should be approached responsibly. This is especially true for the aging Metro-North line, which residents of Norwalk and Darien rely on. Fortunately, there exists a substantial amount of money that CT loses every year that could, and should, be used for transportation investment. Each year, CT residents pay between $300-400 million in income tax to NY every year simply because they work for a company based in NY. Unfortunately, our current Attorney General and State Senate Democrats have ignored calls to bring this case. As State Senator, I would make this a top priority, as it is plainly unconstitutional that NY demands income tax from CT residents. Unlocking these funds would be transformational not only for transportation investment, but also for other significant budgetary costs.

What would you do to address the cost of living for Connecticut families, including taxes and utility costs?

My opponent says he will combat the actions of the current Presidential administration. Although it is true that current Federal policies have increased some costs, the policies passed by my opponent and State Democratic supermajorities that led to high taxes and high utility costs existed before the current administration and will continue to exist after.

The simple fact is that the State legislature must first reduce excessive spending that relies on State taxes and fees such as the Public Benefits Charge. We created an app to demonstrate how much you would save if we removed this charge (https://perry-savings-plan.base44.app/). Second, I would introduce legislation to support small business development and growth, which will address CT’s high unemployment and lower costs for goods and services by increasing supply and decreasing business operation overheads. Third, I would work to directly tackle our high energy costs, for instance banning overpriced long-term energy contracts.

What separates you from your opponent, and why should voters choose you on Election Day?

My opponent is the textbook definition of a career politician, spending his time talking about National issues while ignoring the State-level problems that affect our daily lives. He has long forgotten that he serves Norwalk and Darien.

I am not a career politician. My opponent will call this a weakness, but I believe that my unique background as a cancer biologist, and not as a politician, is a strength I would bring to the CT Senate. Specifically, I will bring common sense, strong problem-solving skills, and an ability to think through complex issues and provide creative solutions, attributes that I have gained by being a scientist.

I sincerely believe that I represent a chance for voters to move beyond National politics and instead focus on electing someone who sincerely wants what is good for our District and good for our State.

What’s one state policy you’d change that isn’t getting enough attention this election cycle?

If I am fortunate enough to represent District 25, I will bring my passion for science and biotech innovation to the CT legislature. One way I would do this is by introducing policy that seeks to make CT the next major Science and Technology hub. The classic example of this is Kendall Square in MA that led to several decades of science and biotech innovation and economic prosperity, but a more recent example is Texas which has implemented the Cancer Prevent and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and a similar institute for Dementia and Aging, providing funding for both basic and clinical science research as well as support for public-private partnerships. These programs have attracted some of the best talent in the country and contributed to the economic prosperity that Texas is experiencing. Unfortunately, despite having numerous top-ranked Universities with excellent research infrastructures, CT does not feature any such program.

How would you describe your approach to working across the aisle in Hartford?

Over my two decades as a scientist, I have learned to work successfully with people who I disagree with, often strongly, towards a common goal. I will bring this same approach to the CT legislature. Specifically, I will continue to advocate for my core principles while recognizing that we live in a pluralistic society that requires not only a strong defense of your ideals but also a willingness to negotiate with those of differing views to obtain at least some of your desired policy outcomes.

If you’re running for an election and haven’t yet filled out the candidate questionnaire:

Please reach out to asmith@nancyonnorwalk.com. We want to include as many candidates as possible so voters can compare where everyone stands before Election Day.