House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, State Senator Toni Boucher, and State Representative John Hetherington today announce their endorsement of Wilton Board of Finance member Gail Lavielle as candidate for State Representative of the 143^rd district, which includes parts of both Wilton and Norwalk.  

Also endorsing Lavielle are Wilton Second Selectwoman Susan Bruschi; Wilton Selectman Harold Clark; former Wilton Republican Town Committee Chairman Michael Kaelin; and former Chairman of the Wilton Board of Finance and Wilton Energy Commission Michael Lindberg.   Gail Lavielle will seek the Republican nomination as candidate for State Representative of the 143^rd district. If elected, she will continue to serve on Wilton's Board of Finance.  

House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero, who represents a large part of Norwalk, said, "Connecticut is at a crossroads.  Our state government has become too big, too intrusive, and too quick to spend the public's money, and its bonds of trust with the people of our state have been broken. We need a clear change of direction, and we need more balance in the policies that are being enacted by the General Assembly.  We need common-sense leadership in Hartford.  Gail Lavielle has the insight, the dedication, and the work ethic we need to help us turn our state around.  The people of Norwalk and Wilton need her energy, her intelligence, and her understanding of their real concerns in Hartford."  

Toni Boucher, who represented the 143^rd district for 12 years before her election as State Senator of the 26^th district, which includes Wilton, said, "Gail Lavielle is uniquely qualified to represent Wilton and Norwalk in the House.  She has worked shoulder to shoulder with me and with John Hetherington to defend the interests of Wilton and Fairfield County, and I have seen her determination and her work ethic firsthand.  She is a fighter.  No challenge is too great for her, and when she takes on a task, she never gives up until she sees it through.  

"At such a critical juncture for our state," Boucher continued, "the 143^rd district needs someone who will focus on the issues that are a priority for its voters, and who is in tune with their concerns, particularly the state's job losses, faltering economy, budget crisis, and transportation projects.  Gail has demonstrated that she knows how to listen and to be an effective advocate.  She has already shown through her work on our region's major transportation issues that she can be a strong and effective representative.  I know Wilton and Norwalk well, and I trust her to respect and represent them faithfully, with the great energy and determination that she brings to everything she does."

State Representative John Hetherington of the 125^th district, which includes part of Wilton, said, "We need Gail Lavielle in the House, because she will be a forceful and effective advocate for Norwalk and Wilton from her first day in the General Assembly.  She knows the legislative process, and has built many strong relationships with the members of our caucus, not only through her work on two state commissions, but also by working in the Capitol with House and Senate members on issues important to Fairfield County.  I look forward to having her as a colleague who will fight every day for Wilton and Norwalk, and who will focus her energies on the critical issues that matter to these communities."  

Gail Lavielle said, "I thank Representative Cafero, Senator Boucher, and Representative Hetherington for their endorsement, and I am honored by their confidence and their trust.  Fairfield County has been fortunate to benefit from their dedication to public service for many years, and I will be very proud if I can represent the 143^rd district with the same enthusiasm, dedication, tenacity, integrity, and good grace that they bring to the service of their constituents every day.  

"Profligate spending by our state government is devastating Connecticut's economy, and with it our families and businesses," said Lavielle.  "I have seen Toni Boucher and John Hetherington fight this trend for years, and have worked closely with them on our area's key issues like transportation, education, and energy.  Toni and John have done me the honor of asking me to add my voice to theirs to help shrink the size of state government and restart Connecticut's economic engine here in Fairfield County.  It would be irresponsible to the citizens of the 143^rd district to say no.  It would be irresponsible to wait.  

"At the same time," Lavielle added, "I made a firm commitment last fall to the citizens of Wilton, who elected me to serve on their Board of Finance.  I want to make it clear that I will honor that commitment if I am elected State Representative, and I will continue to serve on the Board of Finance."  

Gail Lavielle's background combines experience in both the public and the private sectors, as well as in education.  A member of Wilton's town government, she is also an advocate for Wilton and Fairfield County at the state level.  In Wilton, she serves on the Board of Finance and the Energy Commission.  As a member of the CT Public Transportation Commission appointed by Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, she defends the interests of Wilton, Norwalk, and all of Fairfield County, on issues including the renovation of the Wilton train station, the upgrading of the Danbury branch line, and the development of trails and bike paths.  She also serves as an appointee of House Minority Leader Lawrence Cafero on the state's Advisory Council for Professional Standards for School Administrators.  In the private sector, she worked for more than 25 years in finance, marketing, and communication, holding senior executive positions with multinational corporations, and held Series 7, 66, and 31 securities licenses.  At UConn, where she is a PhD candidate, she teaches upper-level courses to undergraduates.  She has an MA from Yale, an MBA in finance from UConn, and a BA from Cornell.  She and her husband Jean-Pierre are active in many service, civic, and cultural organizations in the Wilton community.