FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:         Rick Joslyn

                       203 858 4999

 

 

Rep. Lavielle Endorsed by NFIB, the Nation’s Leading Small Business Association

 

WILTON, October 1, 2018 — The National Federation of Independent Business has endorsed State Representative Gail Lavielle (R-143) for reelection on November 6 to the General Assembly’s 143rd House district, which includes parts of Norwalk, Westport, and Wilton.

 

NFIB is Connecticut’s and the country’s leading small-business association with thousands of members in Connecticut representing a cross-section of the state's economy. For 75 years, NFIB has been advocating on behalf of America’s small and independent business owners, both in Washington, D.C., and in all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan, and member-driven organization, NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the rights of small and independent business owners to own, operate, and grow their businesses.

 

“The NFIB Connecticut PAC is pleased to inform you that we have endorsed your candidacy for the Connecticut General Assembly in this November’s election,” wrote Wendy Traub, Chair, NFIB CT PAC and Sharon Sykes, Grassroots Manager, NFIB CT, in their endorsement letter dated September 28, 2018. “The NFIB CT PAC believes that you will be committed to the needs of thousands of Main Street small businesses and their employees in Connecticut when you are elected to serve in Hartford. Thank you for standing with NFIB on the issues important to small business.”

 

“Over the past decade, Connecticut’s economy has shrunk by 8%, and it’s the only New England state that hasn’t recovered all the jobs it lost during the recession,” said Rep. Lavielle, commenting on the NFIB’s endorsement. “More than 75% of our state’s businesses have fewer than 20 employees, so small businesses are a key driver of our economy. It’s critical to make it easier for them to do business in Connecticut so that both young people and experienced professionals can have access to a vibrant job market with a full range of career opportunities.  One of my highest priorities is helping small businesses reduce their structural costs and eliminating burdensome regulations that make it more difficult for them to operate. I am grateful for the NFIB’s endorsement and its recognition of my commitment to fighting for policies that will make our state friendlier to business.”

 

Rep. Lavielle was first elected to represent the 143rd district in 2010. She is Assistant Minority Leader and Ranking Member of the General Assembly’s Education Committee, and a member of the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee and the Transportation Committees. She also previously served as Ranking Member of the Commerce Committee. Drawing on her more than 20 years of management experience in the business world, she has developed or supported many proposals to make Connecticut’s government less costly and more efficient, create a fertile climate for jobs, reduce the tax burden on people, businesses, and municipalities, and make the state more competitive as a place to live, work, raise a family, and retire. Before her election to the state legislature, she served on the Wilton Board of Finance and the Wilton Energy Commission. She holds an MA in French from Yale, a BA in English from Cornell, and an MBA in finance from UConn, and is the author of a book on opera. She and her husband Jean-Pierre live in Wilton.

​

# # # # #