Republican Robert Boris, Democrat Aundré Bumgardner and unaffiliated candidate James “Jake” Dunigan each hopes to be the next state representative in the 41st House District.

With its boundaries redrawn following the 2020 census, the district covers parts of Stonington and Groton. State Rep. Joe de la Cruz, D-Groton, is not running for re-election.

Boris, 52, a City of Groton resident and president of Command Technology Inc., which is based in the city, is the vice chairman of the Town of Groton Economic Development Commission and an alternate member of the City of Groton Planning and Zoning Commission. Boris is also an Independent Party candidate.

Bumgardner, 28, a City of Groton resident, represented the 41st House District from 2015 to 2017, serves on the Groton Town Council and recently served on the City of Groton Planning and Zoning Commission. He is a customer experience specialist for Balfour Beatty Communities, a real estate management company that manages Navy housing in Groton.

Dunigan, 37, who lives on the Groton side of Mystic, has worked as an engineer for 15 years, including for Electric Boat from 2012 until January. He recently passed the bar and is pursuing a legal career while making his first run for public office.

Top issues

Boris said tourism, coastal sustainability and housing are top priorities.

He said the district has so many assets, from the Mystic Seaport Museum to Mystic restaurants, but tourism needs to benefit residents as well. He wants to make sure they are participating in the area’s success and have a voice. He said the area generates a tremendous amount of revenue for the state, and he’d like to consider ways to direct some of the sales tax revenue generated in the area to the general funds in Stonington and Groton.

To address rising sea levels, Boris said he wants to champion the implementation of coastal sustainability plans, find money for projects and involve the community.

Boris said he would address housing, starting with oversight of the existing housing stock, including the troubled Branford Manor in the City of Groton, to make sure the most vulnerable in the community are protected. Like state Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, Boris said he would push Connecticut’s congressional delegation to ask the Office of the Inspector General to audit Branford Manor.

Boris supports new housing development, with community involvement.

Bumgardner said top priorities are economic recovery; climate action, including energy and environmental issues; and the welfare of families.

He said his experience in the legislature, which included fostering relationships on both sides of the political aisle, will help the district pursue funding for special projects, especially for schools and infrastructure.

Bumgardner, who served on the legislature’s Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, the Education Committee and the Transportation Committee, said that if elected, he would like to serve on the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, the Environment Committee and the Energy and Technology Committee.

He said supporting the welfare of families includes "ensuring that we are right-sizing development for all of our neighborhoods.“ He emphasized the importance of local decision-making and that all neighborhoods matter when it comes to families’ health, safety and welfare. He said it’s important to provide state Education Cost Sharing funds to communities to ensure the health and safety of children. He called for investing in sidewalks, extending Shore Line East rail service into Mystic and Rhode Island and building a train station in Groton.

Dunigan said redistricting; green energy and energy storage; and quality of life for the lower and middle classes are top priorities.

He proposes changing the way the state districts are redrawn to ensure competitiveness and implementing ranked-choice voting. His ideas include using towns as districts or having neutral arbiters in charge of redistricting.

Regarding green energy, Dunigan said, “If we want to be off of fossil fuels, if we mean it, if we really mean it, we have to spend a good amount of money now planning, developing, and building the infrastructure that we need to support a world that relies on intermittent sources, and we’re not doing that right now.”

Dunigan said providing health care through employers and typically only for full-time employees leaves a lot of people unhealthy. To improve quality of life for the lower and middle classes, he would like to encourage employers to provide benefits for those who work part time. One idea is to require employers who don’t provide benefits for part-timers to pay into the health care system an amount equal to the cost of full-time employees.

Affordable Housing

The candidates answered a series of questions in video interviews with The Day.

Boris said it’s important to have oversight of Branford Manor, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-subsidized facility. He called for restoring trust and faith that the state and federal governments can be stewards of the property.

Boris also thinks the state can improve the business climate for developers of affordable housing. He said such developments don’t have to be large and could involve accessory dwelling units. Affordable housing should have tie-ins with transportation and the extension of Shore Line East, he added.

Bumgardner said he called for the Town Council to end a tax-stabilization agreement with the Branford Manor owner. On Tuesday, the council voted to hold the company in default of the agreement. He said the state now recognizes tenants’ unions and that he would like to look at how it deals with mold issues.

He also supported working with Groton and Stonington on a comprehensive solution to tackling housing issues.

Dunigan said he wants towns to maintain their ability to zone, but maybe have the state limit the funding it provides to municipalities that don’t have a certain percentage of affordable housing. He said the state must strike a balance between towns’ interest in maintaining their character and the need for affordable housing.

When asked about Branford Manor in a follow-up interview, Dunigan said it’s important to get HUD involved. He said a state legislator can assist by getting congressional representatives to step in. He supported setting a mold standard for Connecticut, and having the town take action on the tax agreement.

Abortion

Boris said whether Connecticut has a Republican governor, a Democratic governor or an independent governor, “If anyone moves against women’s reproductive rights or the basic human rights of any other group, I would oppose them absolutely.”

Bumgardner said he always will protect the right to abortion and has been outspoken about women’s health issues as a councilor and representative. He said the legislature should require municipalities or school districts to provide menstrual hygiene products, as many students cannot afford them.

Dunigan supported protecting the right to abortion, but also called for access to contraceptives and sex education.

2020 election, early voting, mail-in voting

All candidates said they believe Joe Biden won the 2020 election.

As far as early voting, Boris supports “everything that allows people to vote and have their say in our democratic process.” He said he supports ID verification. The more people understand they have access to voting and believe their voices are heard, “the better off we are,” he said.

Bumgardner said he is passionate about expanding voting rights and called for early voting and enabling people to vote by absentee ballot. He encouraged residents to vote in favor of early voting so the legislature can begin to work on specifics.

Dunigan said he’s still thinking about his position on early voting, as it requires more resources and likely would mean a full- or half-day of school off. He would rather make a holiday, such as Columbus Day, into a voting day to get as much participation as possible. He supports mail-in voting and said voter engagement is the biggest thing.

k.drelich@theday.com

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include that Boris is also an Independent Party candidate.