Tag Archives: Connecticut House of Representatives

“Students Speak”: Empty Chair At Debate? Youth Commission Undeterred

Posted on October 14, 2026 | 2 comments

Jack Thompson is a senior at Greens Farms Academy, and co-chairs the Westport Youth Commission. He helped produce last year’s 1st selectman candidate debate at Toquet Hall, and looked forward to a similar role with this year’s election. Jack writes:

I joined the Westport Youth Commission because student engagement in local government is rare, and being part of this organization would let me be heard.

I put that to the test last year, when I helped organize a first selectman forum as a lead-up to the election. It was a great learning experience, and opened a lot of eyes on how students can be engaged in the political process.

Jack Thompson (left) and Jake Shufro, at last year’s Westport Youth Commission 1st selectman candidates’ debate.

This year, a candidate running for the 136th state House of Representatives approached the WYC about holding a similar forum.

We did some research, and learned that the League of Women Voters has been unable to hold candidate events due to their “empty chair” policy. Due to their nonpartisan position (us too!), they can’t hold events with only one candidate.

We felt that both the town and candidates were losing out, as these events provide important, symbiotic context: We as citizens learn our candidates’ positions, and they learn what’s important to us.

With that in mind, we wanted to see what we could do. We started planning a candidate event for October 29. We invited both Democrat Lee Goldstein and Republican Douglas Ouellette, with the stipulation that both needed to agree for us to host the event.

Screenshot from Ballotpedia, a site that offers “unbiased information to educate and inform American voters.”

We only heard from Lee Goldstein, who responded “yes,” so, in accordance with LWV policy, we canceled the event. This was extremely unfortunate, as it would have provided all of Westport’s citizens and youth an opportunity to hear from the candidates running to represent them in Hartford.

So what do we do now?  As a group, we debated next steps and decided not to be deterred.

We are exploring an event after the election that would be sponsored by the LWV, and moderated by Dan Woog and students.

There are two reasons we arrived at this decision: We want to raise student political engagement and awareness, and it provides an opportunity for our new state representatives to hear from us, about what’s important and how we want to be represented.

It will also give students a chance to share their stance on issues we care about, like AI, social media and local transportation.

We plan to make it technology-interactive, with a live polling system so representatives can see how Westport citizens feel about key issues.

My fellow WYC members and I are excited to plan this event, and look forward to sharing more details after the election.

(“Students Speak” is a forum for all students, who live in or attend school in Westport and Weston. Email submissions to 06880blog@gmail.net. To support this hyper-local blog, click here. Thank you!)

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Meanwhile, the Leagues of Women Voters of Lower Fairfield County are sponsoring a debate with the 3 candidates for Congress from Connecticut’s 4th District: Democratic Jim Himes, Republican Michael Goldstein and independent Benjamin Wesley.

It’s Monday, October 19 (Westport Library, 7 p.m.). Advance registration is required; click here. The debate will also be livestreamed on the Library’s YouTube page, with replay available afterward.

 

2 Comments

Posted in Politics, Teenagers

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Remembering Jo Fuchs Luscombe

Posted on September 12, 2025 | 8 comments

Jo Fuchs Luscombe — a force of nature who, in a lifetime of work and volunteer efforts, accomplished everything from 5 terms in the Connecticut House of Representatives (including minority whip) and Westport’s 3rd selectwoman, to leadership (and boots-on-the-ground) service in nearly every major organization in town — died last weekend. She was 94.

An official obituary has not yet been released. But in 2017, “06880” hailed her as one of our first Unsung Heroes. I wrote:

If you’ve been in Westport for any length of time, you’ve probably heard — and met — Jo Fuchs Luscombe.

She’s been involved in every aspect of life here — politics, education, community service. If it needs doing, Jo has done it.

But how many people know her back story?

A Dallas native, she was just a year old when her father — an oilman — moved the family to Venezuela. Jo grew up speaking Spanish — and gaining an important, real-world view of life.

She went to boarding school and college in Texas, headed to Katherine Gibbs secretarial school, got married at 19 and had a child at 20.

Jo Fuchs Luscombe

Her husband was in oil too, so they headed to Libya. Jo learned Italian there, and was once more immersed in a very different culture.

In her mid-30s, after moving back to the US, Jo and her husband divorced. Encouraged by Rev. Dana Forrest Kennedy, she threw herself into every aspect Christ & Holy Trinity Church. She became president of the Women’s Guild, served on the vestry, and ran fundraisers.

She got interested too in the Westport Historical Society. Jo was a driving force behind the acquisition and restoration of Wheeler House — owned at the time by her church — as the organization’s headquarters.

In 1980, Jo was asked to fill out an unexpired term on the Zoning Board of Appeals. Public speaking did not come easily. But — as with everything else in her life — she worked to master it.

She won a full term on her own, then was appointed to the vacant post of 3rd selectman.

In 1986, Jo managed her friend and fellow Westporter Julie Belaga’s campaign for governor.

Jo’s next step was the state House of Representatives. She served 5 terms — from 1987 to ’97 — and rose to assistant minority leader and Republican minority whip.

At the same time, she was involved in the League of Women Voters (1989-2011). She was a member of Westport Sunrise Rotary from the 1988 beginning, and was the first female president (1991-92).

Retirement from state politics did not slow her down. As a 10-year member of Westport’s School Building Committee (and chair) she helped oversee 5 major construction and renovation projects (including the new Staples High School).

Jo Fuchs Luscombe (Photo courtesy of Westport Woman’s Club)

Remarriage did not slow her down either. Jo was president of the Westport Woman’s Club from 2003-05 (where she helped run major events like the art show), and was active in the Greens Farms Garden club, and countless others.

As a Westport Weston Family YMCA board trustee from 1998 to 2015, she helped shepherd the new building on its long, torturous journey from downtown to Mahackeno. She earned a “Faces o Achievement” Award from the Y in 1999.

She was even a justice of the peace.

Her husband John says there is one reason she accomplishes so much: “She doesn’t sleep.”

There’s one more thing: Jo Fuchs Luscombe is one of the nicest, most always-smiling people you’ll ever meet.

Congratulations, Jo. And thanks from all of us, for all you’ve done in so many ways.

(Hat tip: Bobbie Herman)

Cards can be sent to Jo’s son, Edward Fuchs: 52 St. James Drive, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418. A full obituary will be published when available.

8 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Organizations, religion, YMCA

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Reapportionment Alters Westport’s State Representation

Posted on November 28, 2021 | 2 comments

Connecticut’s General Assembly will have a different look after the next election.

Redistricting takes place every 10 years, based on census data and population shifts.

Unlike many states, Connecticut’s reapportionment is done by a panel of 2 Democrats and 2 Republicans. If they can’t agree, a 5th objective member is added. This year, that was unneeded.

Current plans — which will be finalized soon — change district lines for the 2 state senators and 2 representatives who now serve parts of Westport.

Senator Will Haskell’s 26th District currently runs far north. He’ll lose Bethel, but gain a slice of Stamford, connected by a bit of Darien and New Canaan.

The borders of State Representative Jonathan Steinberg’s 136th District have shifted slightly, though it continues to include only Westport. He’s lost some voters in the western part of town. His district still runs all the way to the Fairfield town line.

State Representative Stephanie Thomas’ Norwalk-based 143rd District has changed significantly. She gained some additional voters in Westport and a large number of new voters in Norwalk. They replace Wilton, which has become an entirely new district.

State Senator Tony Hwang’s 28th District has been pushed north, into Bethel. He’ll lose the Greens Farms section of Westport he now represents.

But, Hwang says, “I’ve worked with Jim Marpe, Jen Tooker and Andrea Moore, on projects like Coleytown Middle School and bridge repairs. I’ll always advocate for Westport. Please give my thanks to the terrific people of Westport I’ve been able to represent.”

(For more in-depth information on redistricting, click here, here, here and here. Hat tip: Peter Gold.)

 

2 Comments

Posted in Politics

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Roundup: Statehouse Debates, WitchCraft Cocktails, Police Probe, More

Posted on October 1, 2020 | 2 comments

Jake Tapper called Tuesday’s presidential debate “a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck.” That’s being kind to dumpster fires and train wrecks.

But fear not! Normal political discourse will be on display next Tuesday (October 6, 12 p.m., Zoom). The Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce and Westport Library are sponsoring an actual “debate” with 4 candidates for 2 local state House of Representatives seats: Jonathan Steinberg vs. Chip Stephens, and Stephanie Thomas vs. Patricia Zucaro.

Click here to register (required). Questions may be taken from the audience.

Coming up on October 13: a debate with candidates for the State Senate.

Speaking of debates and dumpster fires: After Tuesday night’s “shit show” (Dana Bash), we all need a drink.

Wakeman Town Farm will help you make a special fall craft cocktail with mixologist Julia Halina Hadas, author of WitchCraft Cocktails. She’ll share recipes for adult beverages designed for healing, spells, offerings and fun.

It’s Friday, October 2, 5 to 6 p.m. And it’s virtual, so you can drink alone (or at least at home). To register, click here.

In the wake of threatening fliers found downtown Sunday morning, the Westport Police Department says:

We understand that this incident has caused a great deal of alarm and varying levels of concern for many living within our community. We have been working diligently to identify the responsible individual(s). The investigation has remained extremely active. The probe has featured close collaboration with federal law enforcement officials, based on some of the statements expressed in these postings.

Investigative efforts of the Westport Police Department Detective Bureau have yielded information on 2 responsible parties. The Department assures all that there is currently no viable threat to the community relative to this incident. This investigation remains open and active, and any additional developments will be detailed later.

And finally … we continue to lose music stars. The New York Times reports that Mac Davis — “the pop-country crossover star who wrote hits for Elvis Presley and had a No. 1 pop single of his own with Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me'” — died Tuesday. He was 78.

2 Comments

Posted in Local politics, Organizations, Police, Politics

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