We-Ha.com welcomes Letters to the Editor from the public, including endorsements. Letters submitted by political candidates will be considered for publication up to 14 days prior to an election and most will be published within 48 hours of receipt. Letters that contain personal attacks or include profanity of any type will not be published. Rebuttals to letters should be submitted as a separate document, and commenting on letters will no longer be permitted. Please provide your full name and town, as well as your phone number at the end of the letter. Phone numbers will not be published but are required in case verification is needed. Please submit letters to [email protected].

Dear We-Ha.com Readers,

My name is Larry Lazor and I’m running as a moderate Republican to represent you in Congress. If you don’t mind, I’d like to introduce myself and make the case for why our community would benefit from a fresh perspective in Washington.

I’m a lifelong West Hartford resident, father of three, and practicing OBGYN who decided to try to be the change I want to see in Washington in the midst of a time of historically low confidence and radical partisanship. I believe our community and our country would benefit from fresh representation and fresh thinking in Congress.

My opponent, John Larson, has represented you for 24 years, and although I like him as a person, I have serious doubts about what he has accomplished – and what he seeks to accomplish. John continues to promote huge government spending, something that has hurt  Greater Hartford and Connecticut (which was last among all 50 states in economic growth from 2008-2020) over the last two decades. The great state of Connecticut has high debt, high taxes, and high inflation all of which have made being here increasingly difficult for families and businesses. You’ve had front row seats as large companies like Raytheon and GE have fled the state in search of a better place to do business, while smaller ones have closed up shop – taking jobs and opportunities away from our community.

I believe it’s time for new energy and new ideas and that no person – and no party – has a monopoly on good ideas or good policy. In fact, we all benefit from a wider range of parties and viewpoints which force us to push for strong policies together, policies built on common sense and trust. Here is where I stand on a few of the issues.

The Economy: Historic inflation rates are hurting all of our budgets, and yet Congress continues to spend more and more money. I stand for fiscal responsibility and lower taxes that will provide relief to our community, jumpstart the small business engine of our economy, and return Connecticut to its former status as a great place to do business. Here, John Larson and I are opposites. As he pushes Congress to keep writing checks, remember that it’s ultimately coming from your pockets – and that this type of spending has been shown to cause inflation, higher taxes, and higher debt that tightens the budgets of families and small businesses.

Healthcare Reform: Having spent more than 30 years as a primary caregiver in this community, I believe I can add something to the healthcare conversation in Washington. Healthcare is too expensive, too complicated and has too many inequities. I have seen firsthand both the inequalities rampant in our current system and the ways that government involvement in healthcare can make the problem worse, not better. Beyond my own practice, I also have experience managing a surgery center in Farmington (which estimates say saves the healthcare system $3 million each year), experience I’d leverage to increase access to high quality, affordable healthcare. Lastly, having specialized in women’s health for my entire career, I understand the importance of abortion access and will support it as your congressman (something I’ve written about in The Hartford Courant).

Education Reform: As a father of three, education is vitally important to me. I worry that current policies are making it harder for our next generation to achieve its full potential, especially those in at-risk demographics. That’s why I support charter schools that increase educational innovation and force all schools to be better, a decrease in the burdens of standardized testing, fewer students in each classroom, disciplinary systems that lessen and address the causes of poor student behavior, and other policies that place student success first. Ensuring teachers feel supported by administrators, parents, and the community is also crucial.

Moderation, Compromise, and Civility: A cornerstone of my approach is civility, compromise, and a solution-oriented approach. As a lifelong Republican, I believe we’d benefit from more policies shaped in the image of some of my party’s core principles – fiscal responsibility, government that stays out of peoples’ way, and pride in the incredible melting pot that is America – but also see many problems with the current state of the GOP.  If elected, I would use my platform as your congressman to strengthen Americans’ trust in our institutions (not undermine them), embody a GOP that stands for all of us, and work across the aisle to drive progress.

Of course, there are many other issues at play, not all of which I have room to cover here. If you want to learn more about what I stand for, you can do so by visiting either our website (lazorforcongress.com), Twitter feed (@larrylazor), or Facebook page (Larry Lazor for Congress). If you have concerns – or just want to get to know me better – feel free to reach out through the “get connected” form on my website. It’d be my pleasure to meet you.

As part of my campaign, I’ve made a commitment to keep an open mind, keep pushing for better, and learn as much about the issues as I possibly can. As we move closer to Election Day, all I can ask is that you do the same (including by watching me debate John Larson on Tuesday, Oct. at 8 p.m. (note new date) at Manchester Community College and also airing on CPTV – and encouraging him to agree to more of them). I have been humbled by the groundswell of support thus far – from Democrats, Republicans, and Unaffiliated voters alike. This is our opportunity to make government work better for all of us and I would be honored to earn your support.

All the best,
Larry

Editor’s Note: Larry Lazor is a candidate for U.S. Congress in the 1st District. This posting has been updated with the new date of the 1st District debate.