FARMINGTON — Every Farmington voter has the same choice for Congress on Nov. 3: Rep. Jahana Hayes, the Democrat who has held the 5th District seat since 2019, or Chris Shea, a Republican, retired Navy SEAL and North Haven firefighter. They met Tuesday night, Oct. 13, at a forum the League of Women Voters of Litchfield County held at Nonnewaug High School.
The league took questions from the public and had members from both parties edit them, said Laura Smits, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Connecticut, who moderated. Each candidate had 20 minutes to spend across all the answers. The forum is posted in full on the league's YouTube channel.
They disagreed on most questions and agreed on a few. Here is what each said.
Taxes
Asked for a first priority, Shea pointed to last year's federal tax law. "The first thing I'd like to do when I get down there is get after the tax cuts that we all got to take advantage of this year and make them permanent," he said, naming the breaks on overtime, tips, seniors and state and local taxes.
Hayes said her priority was a Democratic House majority that would "begin to rescind some of the harmful actions of this administration." She said she voted against the law, including its tips and overtime breaks, because of its cuts to Medicaid and food aid. "If it came to the floor again, I'd vote no to it again because I work for the people of this district, not for the president," she said.
Tariffs and the debt
"I think tariffs are one of the tools that we need to have at the disposal of the executive branch," Shea said, adding, "and Congress as well," while acknowledging that people are hurting from high prices. Hayes said trade is Congress's job: "the president should not have the power to unilaterally impose tariffs on behalf of our nation." She said diesel costs have driven up prices for farmers in the district, and that many couldn't get fertilizer.
On the national debt, Shea said, "We need to cut the fraud, waste and abuse at the federal level and we need to grow our way out of it." Hayes said the answer is a fairer tax code: "Make the wealthiest individuals and corporations pay their share."
Immigration
Both said the system needs to change. Shea credited the administration for closing the southern border and said, "That border needs to stay closed and legal immigration needs to be allowed and adjusted accordingly to the needs of the nation." He said he supports programs for people who come to work.
Hayes said she supports border security but objected to how enforcement is being carried out. "Yes, we do need a stronger, more comprehensive immigration policy. But even with border security, we can treat people with dignity and respect," she said. She called for more immigration judges and lawyers so cases move faster.
Iran and war powers
Asked how Congress should make sure the administration seeks its authorization before more military strikes, Shea defended the U.S. military action in Iran. "If we're going to go to full war with them, then yeah, Congress has to authorize it," he said, but the president "has the ability to make decisions based on intelligence that is timely."
Hayes said she has voted on war powers resolutions to end the war and said she was confused that a Navy SEAL would say the president can send the country to war. "This president is not a king. He does not have the ability to unilaterally declare war," she said.
Shea answered that he had been misquoted. "I did not say that he has the ability to unilaterally declare war," he said, but that the president can order strikes on foreign nations.
Health care
Hayes said, "I think that we need to move towards a universal healthcare system," with people able to keep insurance through their jobs if they want it. Shea, who said he works as a paramedic, said he opposes a single-payer system. "I don't think that a universal single-payer system is the right answer," he said, and he backed requiring able-bodied adults on government-paid coverage to work or volunteer 80 hours a month, with exceptions.
Data centers and housing
On data centers, Hayes said the companies "need to pay their fair share, and we need to slow this process down and have some federal oversight." Shea agreed they need oversight and said, "We need to respect local zoning and the wishes of the people where the data centers are trying to be placed."
On housing, Hayes said Congress should keep investing so more homes get built. Shea said, "We need to encourage builders to build," with federal incentives for towns that allow it.
Committees
Shea said he would want to serve on the Veterans' Affairs and Agriculture committees. Hayes said she would stay on her two committees, Agriculture and Education and Workforce, and run to chair Education and Workforce.
How to vote
Early voting runs Monday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 1, on the third floor of Town Hall, 20 Monteith Drive. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The rest of Farmington's ballot, by precinct, is on our elections page.
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Jack Beckett has now worked through Farmington's ballot from the registrar up to Congress. He is on his fourth coffee. ☕
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