2026 Candidate Questionnaire: Kadeem Roberts for State Representative, 137th District

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

I am running for State Representative because I believe public service is about being present, listening to residents, and delivering meaningful results for the community you call home. I was born and raised in Norwalk, attended Norwalk Public Schools, and have dedicated my career to education, youth, and community service. The 137th District is not simply a district I represent it is home. My commitment to public service began before I ever went to Hartford. In 2019, I was elected to the Norwalk Common Council as the youngest African American in the history of the city, where I had the opportunity to work directly with residents and address issues affecting our neighborhoods. That experience taught me the importance of listening to constituents, understanding the challenges they face, and working collaboratively to find solutions. I brought that same commitment with me when I was elected State Representative. I am qualified to represent the 137th District because I understand our community from both a personal and professional perspective. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Virginia Union University and a master’s degree in Public Administration, with a concentration in Local and State Government, from Fairfield University. My background in education has shaped my belief that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed and that families, educators, and communities need the resources to thrive. As a State Representative, I have continued to advocate for issues that matter to Norwalk families, including education, housing, children and working families. I currently serve as Assistant Majority Leader and on the Housing, Education, and Judiciary Committees, giving me the opportunity to advocate for the people of the 137th District while helping shape policy at the state level. I am running because I believe Norwalk deserves a representative who is accessible, hardworking, and invested in the community. My goal is to continue building on the work we have started expanding opportunities for our children and young people, supporting working families, protecting access to quality education, addressing housing affordability, and making sure the voices of our residents are heard in Hartford. My Motto has always been, “If you dream it, live it.” That belief reflects my journey in public service. I want every young person, family, and resident in the 137th District to know that their dreams are possible and that their representative is working to help create the opportunities necessary to achieve them. I am running because I believe in Norwalk, I believe in the people of the 137th District.

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

I would continue to focus on three issues that are deeply connected to the lives of families in the 137th District: criminal justice reform, affordable housing and homelessness, and education. Criminal justice reform has been one of my most important priorities because I believe our justice system should hold people accountable while also protecting children and providing opportunities for rehabilitation. I am particularly proud of my work on SB 1542, legislation that addressed the arrest and use of handcuffs on young children. The law raises the age for arrest of a child under certain circumstances and restricts the use of handcuffs on children under 14, making Connecticut the first state in the nation to enact this type of legislation. I believe children should be treated like children, and I will continue advocating for reforms that protect young people while addressing the root causes of involvement in the justice system. Housing and homelessness are also critical priorities for me. As Vice Chair of the Housing Committee, I have seen firsthand how difficult it has become for working families, seniors, young people, and individuals experiencing homelessness to find safe and affordable housing. I also founded Connecticut’s first End Homelessness Caucus, bringing legislators and advocates together to elevate homelessness as a statewide priority and identify meaningful solutions. I will continue working to increase affordable housing opportunities, strengthen resources for people experiencing homelessness, and make sure Connecticut families are not priced out of the communities they call home. Education is equally important to me because I know firsthand the power of a quality public education. With my background in education and as someone who came through Norwalk Public Schools, I understand how important it is that every child has access to the resources, support, and opportunities they need to succeed. I will continue fighting for strong public schools, equitable funding, special education resources, early childhood education, and pathways that prepare students for college, careers, and life. These three issues are interconnected: stable housing gives families a foundation, quality education creates opportunity, and a fair and effective justice system ensures that young people are not defined by one mistake.

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

I would strongly support continued and increased state funding for public schools because education is one of the most important investments Connecticut can make in its future. During the 2026 legislative session, I supported efforts to strengthen Education Cost Sharing (ECS) funding, including SB 7, the Educational Equity bill, which I co-sponsored. The legislation sought to increase the ECS foundation amount to better reflect the rising cost of educating students and the resources districts need for priorities such as special education, early literacy, teacher recruitment, and college and career readiness. While SB 7 ultimately did not become law, I was proud to support the effort because I believe Connecticut must do more to ensure that state education funding keeps pace with the actual needs of our students and schools. I also supported the 2026 state budget, which included nearly $200 million in district relief, along with investments in free school breakfast, universal pre-K, and special education. For Norwalk specifically, state funding is critically important because our schools are dealing with rising costs, including special education, staffing, and other services, while our local taxpayers continue to carry a significant share of the burden. I understand this issue not only as a State Representative, but also because of my background in education and as a product of Norwalk Public Schools. I believe the state has a responsibility to be a strong partner to Norwalk Public Schools, and I will continue fighting for a fairer ECS system, stronger special education funding, and resources that allow our teachers and schools to give every Norwalk student the opportunity to succeed.

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

Housing affordability is one of the most urgent issues facing Connecticut, and as Vice Chair of the Housing Committee, I have made it a priority to fight for solutions that create more opportunities for people to rent, purchase, and remain in the communities they call home. This past session, I stood on the House floor for more than 11.5 hours fighting for HB 5002 because I believed the legislation could make meaningful progress on housing affordability and access. Although that bill was ultimately vetoed, I did not stop fighting. I came back to the table and supported HB 8002, the Housing Growth Act, which became law and included a number of important housing initiatives, including creating a first-time homebuyer savings program that helps individuals save for down payments and closing costs. I strongly support expanding pathways to homeownership, including Connecticut’s Time to Own program, because first-time homeownership should be achievable for working families and not something reserved for people who already have significant wealth. I also believe we need to increase the supply of affordable housing, support responsible housing development, strengthen programs that help people experiencing homelessness, and give municipalities the tools and resources they need to address their individual housing needs. For me, housing is about more than simply putting a roof over someone’s head; it is about creating stability, building generational wealth, keeping families in Connecticut, and making sure teachers, first responders, young professionals, seniors, and working families can afford to live in the communities they serve. As Vice Chair of the Housing Committee, I will continue to bring that perspective to Hartford and fight for policies that make housing more affordable, accessible, and attainable for the people of Norwalk and across Connecticut.

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

Addressing the cost of living means making sure Connecticut families actually feel relief in their household budgets. During this past legislative session, we worked hard on legislation aimed at putting money back into the pockets of working families and addressing some of the costs that have continued to rise. Utility costs, in particular, remain a major concern, and I believe companies like Eversource must be held accountable to the customers they serve. Ratepayers should not feel like they are constantly being asked to absorb costs without transparency, accountability, and meaningful oversight. Connecticut has already taken steps last session in SB4 which I voted for to provide relief on electric bills, including legislation designed to reduce residential electricity costs, but we have to keep pushing because families are still struggling. I also support strengthening programs that help families who are struggling to pay their energy bills, improving energy efficiency so households can reduce their long-term costs, and making sure public-benefit programs are funded in a way that does not unfairly burden ratepayers. This past session also included work to improve transparency around public-benefit charges on electric bills, which I believe is important because residents deserve to understand exactly what they are paying for. At the same time, we have to look at the broader cost of living, including taxes, housing, childcare, transportation, food, and other everyday expenses. My approach is to pursue targeted tax relief where we can, protect and expand programs that directly assist working families, and make sure state government is being responsible with taxpayer dollars. I want families in Norwalk and throughout Connecticut to be able to work, raise their children, pay their bills, and build a future without constantly feeling like they are falling further behind. As a legislator, I will continue fighting for affordability, demanding accountability from our utility companies, and making sure that the people who pay the bills are not forgotten when decisions are made in Hartford.

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

What separates me is the depth of my lived experience, professional experience, and continued connection to the community I represent. My opponent has pointed to experience as something that separates us, but I bring more than a decade of professional experience working with young people, families, and underserved communities, along with the experience of actually growing up in those communities. I am a Carver kid. I was raised in the Carver community, and I am still actively involved in the same community that helped raise me. My opponent currently works at the Carver Community Center, but my connection to Carver is not simply where I work it is where I grew up, where my story began, and where I continue to show up for families today in the community. I supported state funding to help ensure that the Carver property received the investment it deserved because I understand personally what that space means to our community. I was born and raised in Norwalk, and my family has deep roots in this city. My mother served as a preschool teacher in Norwalk for more than 40 years through NEON, my father is a small business owner, my sister is an attorney for the State of Connecticut, and my brother is a six-time Grammy Award winner and nominee. I am also a new father, and becoming a parent has made my commitment to building a stronger future for our children even more personal. I am not someone who only represents Norwalk from behind a desk. I am in our neighborhoods, working with families and showing up. My annual Back to School Drive recently served more than 2,000 families, and my work in Hartford has focused on issues that directly affect our community, including housing, homelessness, education, and criminal justice reform. I have experienced challenges, overcome them, and dedicated my life to giving back to the community that gave me so much. I believe that is what separates me: I do not just represent the community I come from it, I live it, and I continue to serve it every day. I know where I came from, and I have never forgotten the people and community that helped me get here.

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

One state policy that does not get enough attention is making sure that people who have served their time are actually given a fair opportunity to rebuild their lives. In Connecticut, we need to do more to remove barriers to housing, employment, and stability for people returning to their communities who have paid their debt to society. I have worked on this issue through the Housing Committee because a criminal record should not automatically prevent someone from finding a place to live or becoming a productive member of society. In fact, I supported legislation addressing the collateral consequences of criminal records on housing opportunities. To me, this is both a housing issue and a public-safety issue: when people have stable housing, employment, and the opportunity to move forward, they are in a much better position to succeed and less likely to return to the justice system. We should be talking more about second chances, rehabilitation, and removing unnecessary barriers while still holding people accountable.

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

My approach to working across the aisle is one of the strengths I bring to Hartford. I believe you can disagree on policy while still respecting the person sitting across from you. Throughout my time in the legislature, I have worked with colleagues from both sides of the aisle, including receiving bipartisan support at public hearings and having colleagues co-sponsor legislation that I have championed and helped pass. I make it a priority to listen first and understand where people are coming from, even when we may not initially agree. I also believe in educating one another. I have a unique background and lived experience, and I welcome the opportunity to share that perspective with colleagues who may not have grown up in the communities I come from. At the same time, I want to learn from their experiences and perspectives. I believe that is how good legislation gets done. I lead with respect, openness, and authenticity, and I think that is why I have been able to build strong relationships with colleagues across the aisle. For me, working across the aisle is not about compromising my values; it is about finding common ground where we can and getting results for the people we represent.

What’s a local issue specific to your district that you don’t think gets enough attention at the state level?  

One local issue specific to the 137th District that I do not think gets enough attention at the state level is making sure that Norwalk receives the state investment it needs to maintain and strengthen its infrastructure and community assets. Norwalk is a growing city, and with that growth comes increased pressure on our roads, transportation systems, schools, stormwater infrastructure, and neighborhoods. We have seen how important state partnership can be, including securing significant state investments for Norwalk projects and school infrastructure. I believe we need to continue making sure that Norwalk is not overlooked when state resources are distributed. That means investing in infrastructure, addressing flooding and resiliency, supporting our public schools, improving transportation, and making sure neighborhoods that have historically been underserved receive the investment they deserve.

Editor’s note: One question on the candidate questionnaire, asking about state investment in public transit and infrastructure, had a technical error. Instead of a text box for candidates to type their answer, the form showed multiple-choice options by mistake. Because of this glitch, that question and its answers have been omitted from all candidate questionnaires.

If you’re running for State Representative 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.