Fairfield Hosts Forum for State Senator and State Representative Candidates

Fairfield University will host a Candidate Forum scheduled for October 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Dogwood Room of the Barone Campus Center. This event will feature candidates running for the 28th State Senate seat, and State Representatives for the 132nd, 133rd, and 134th districts. The forum provides an opportunity for candidates to present their platforms, engage with the Fairfield community, and address pressing issues facing our state.

The public is welcome and encouraged to attend along with members of the Fairfield University community, including students and faculty, as part of the University’s commitment to fostering civic engagement in anticipation of the 2024 election.

The forum will be moderated by Associate Professor of Politics and Director of the Master of Public Administration Gayle Alberda, PhD. With extensive experience as a campaign strategist, and consultant, Dr. Alberda brings a wealth of knowledge to the discussion. Her expertise in U.S. political behavior, campaigns, and elections, along with her research in election science, will enhance the forum's depth and relevance. Dr. Alberda is also recognized for her role as a political analyst across various media platforms and has actively contributed to public discourse through her work with local governments and her testimony on election laws to Connecticut’s state legislature and other governing bodies.

This candidate forum is a vital component of Fairfield University’s broader initiative to encourage civic engagement. The University is hosting a campus election simulation that will allow students to vote on three initiatives, educating them on the electoral college, and also giving students a voice to support a new campus initiative. In addition, the University will host an early voting site for the Town of Fairfield, where residents, including students and faculty, can register to vote and cast their ballots throughout the two weeks leading up to the election. Fairfield University also ensures that students, faculty, and staff can access at no cost, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and America: The Jesuit Review.

As part of these efforts, Fairfield University hosted a 22nd State Senate Candidate Forum on the Fairfield Bellarmine Campus this past August, and recently hosted John Della Volpe, director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, to discuss the Gen Z vote.

On October 17, the University’s new monthly speaker series, Campus Connect, will feature a talk at the downtown Fairfield University Store on the landscape of the elections in 2024.  On October 22, Alyssa Farah Griffin and Molly Jong-Fast will be at the Quick Center to discuss the presidential election.

As the election approaches, all are invited to join us in this important conversation about our future. For more information about Fairfield University’s commitment to civic engagement, please visit: www.fairfield.edu/stagsvote.