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Norwalk Candidate Profile: Bob Duff

NORWALK, Conn. -- The Daily Voice sent out a questionnaire to all candidates seeking office in this year's election.

Bob Duff, the Democratic candidate for the District 25 State Senate seat (Darien/Norwalk)

Bob Duff, the Democratic candidate for the District 25 State Senate seat (Darien/Norwalk)

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Bob Duff

The following are the responses of Bob Duff, Democratic incumbent in the State Senate District 25 (Darien/Norwalk). Duff is facing Republican challenger Bill Dunne.

Name: Bob Duff

Age: 43

Occupation: Real Estate agent at William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty

Affiliations: Member, Advisory Board, Family and Children's Agency, 2004–present

Board Member, Human Service Council, 2002–present

Member, Advisory Board, Norwalk Land Trust, 2001–present

Member, Emerging Leaders' Conference, State Legislative Leaders Foundation, 2006

Member, Fleming Fellows Leadership Institute of the Center for Policy Alternatives, 2004

Member, Norwalk United Methodist Church

Past offices: State Representative for the 137th  District (2002-2004), State Senator representing the 25th District (2004-present)

Current race: State Senator representing the 25th District (Norwalk and Darien)

If elected, what would you do to improve roads and trains in Fairfield County?

Our local transportation infrastructure has always been a key to how Norwalk and all of lower Fairfield County fare in a regional, national and even global economy. As such, this has always been an issue I advance during every session of the legislature.

There have been successes, such as the work now being done on I-95 and the ramps at Exits 14 and 15. There’s the scheduled replacement of the Walk Bridge in South Norwalk, which is critical to the flow of train traffic throughout the northeast. Plus, the replacement of the aging fleet of passenger cars on Metro-North. And while the performance of Metro-North has disappointed commuters of late, we continue to hold management accountable to the job for which they’ve contracted. 

Each session I work to ensure my district receives the funds necessary to maintain and improve our roadways. This year Norwalk received $883,599 and Darien $334,138 from the Town Aid Road Fund.

If elected, what is your position on state spending and the state budget?

How the State spends our tax dollars should be of concern to everyone. And I’m very pleased that in the last legislative session we were able to pass a balanced budget for fiscal year 2015. Perhaps more important, we shaved $40 million off the budget as compared to initial estimates, and put another $43 million in the State’s Rainy Day Fund, all while providing Norwalk and Darien with a combined $18.3 million in State Grant money.

My approach to the budget has always been conservative, carefully balancing the needs of my constituents with the desire for government to operate effectively.

What is another top issue or priority in your town or district that you would address in office?

It’s really not an issue I would address, rather one we’ve been addressing for a number of years: jobs and the economy. It’s a story of much success and much work still to do. 

Our unemployment rate is now the lowest it’s been since December of 2008, when we were deep in the throws of the Great Recession. Our Small Business Express program has given over 2,000 Connecticut businesses the incentive to invest in people. Some 14,000 new jobs have been created and another 30,000 retained over the last four years. 

The Step Up program targets small businesses and has resulted in over 2,100 additional hires, including veterans.

Good news? Yes. Great news. Not yet. But when you put into perspective the damage this recession has done, we’ve managed the rebuilding of Connecticut’s economy fairly well. My aim is to continue to build confidence in our business sector. This will ensure the consumer confidence we need to return to a robust economy.

Why should people vote for you?

There should be only one reason for people to vote for any candidate. That is, the candidate has shown sufficient evidence he or she can handle the task for which they’re being elected.

At its most basic level, the job of legislator requires a profound desire to help people. That means being available and responsive. I’m blessed to have a wonderful support staff in Hartford, but I’ve also made it my mission to respond personally to everyone who contacts my office. And I make a point of being seen around Norwalk and Darien so people are free to introduce themselves and tell me what’s on their mind. You’ve got to love people to be a good legislator.

You’ve also got to be a leader and a communicator. Connecticut has 36 State senators. If we go on the premise that all 36 sincerely want to help people, we still have to contend with as many as 36 different ways to do this. This is where you put your pride in your back pocket, take the party affiliation and ideology pins off your chest, roll up your shirtsleeves and get down to the business of serving the people.

And I speak from experience, having earned my way up the legislative ladder. My colleagues have granted me higher positions of authority and responsibility over the years because I bring them together in agreement. There’s no gridlock in Hartford. In the last session of the State Senate, 85 percent of the votes were unanimous. That’s a track record I’m proud of.

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