A profile on Eileen Baker's opponent is linked to the right.

Voter Resource Guide

Democratic candidate for state representative Eileen Baker is seeking election in the 23rd District to a two-year term on the Connecticut General Assembly. She's challenging incumbent Republican Marilyn Giuliano, also of Old Saybrook.

Baker initially became involved in government, specifically in the Old Saybrook Board of Education, because of a desire to see an improvement in education for her own children and all children in Old Saybrook.

"I was very interested in educational reform specific to developmentally appropriate practices of teaching younger children and also looking at higher-order thinking skills for middle- and high school," she said. "I'm completely dedicated to achieving a quality public education for every child, Pre-K to grade 12, including special education."

Baker has been a member of the Old Saybrook Board of Education since 1989, a member of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education since 1990 and is an adjunct professor at Southern Connecticut State University. She currently works as an educator of the deaf and holds a master's degree in the field. Baker believes her background with the deaf-which includes her own family-has enabled her to understand complex issues effectively.

"My parents were deaf and my grandparents were deaf," said Baker. "I think that that background has prepared me to be a really good listener and to be patient and to take information that may be complex and synthesize it into an understanding of the issue."

The 33-year Old Saybrook resident and community volunteer has worked in programs across the state to help the deaf and those who are hard of hearing.

"I actually do work in prisons across the country in terms of the American Disability Act, I've done some work with the national Department of Justice, and I'm doing some consulting with Yale-New Haven Hospital, as well," she said.

Baker's primary focus is on economic growth and job creation. To that end, she believes in investing in alternative and renewable sources of energy.

"By investing and exploring a variety of renewable energy jobs, we will be able to create a higher-skilled work force," she said. "Young people are looking for ways to give back by reducing the carbon footprint and dependency on oil and we as a state must begin the conversation."

Additionally, Baker believes in the importance of collaboration between the school system and the business community to develop career paths for students that correlate to job availability.

"I'm interested in exploring a really strong partnership with the business community and education to create partnerships that would be essential to job growth," she said. "I'm very much about educating people for long-term growth."

Another goal of Baker's is to reduce inefficiency and waste in state government. She plans to use an approach called results-based accountability.

"It is a system of budget review that makes sure that tax dollars are being used efficiently and transparently," she said. "I think there really needs to be a survey to take a look and see what the state really needs."

And on the local level, Baker has a specific assurance for the towns of the 23rd District: "The towns I would be representing would be able to rely on current revenue streams to balance budgets while alternative sources of revenue to explore property tax reform are being explored."