Editor’s note: the following are opinions submitted by Westporters Lauren Soloff and Nancy Axthelm.

As a Westport resident for 32 years, I am proud to endorse Lee Goldstein for State Representative. I’m fortunate to know Lee as a friend, but my admiration for her and my support for her candidacy go well beyond our friendship.

I’ve spent time canvassing our neighborhood with Lee, and I was struck by how naturally she connected with people. She didn’t simply deliver a message—she listened. She was genuinely interested in what people had to say and engaged with them thoughtfully, whether they agreed with her or not.

I’ve also watched Lee field questions at the State of the Town, at debates, and at other public forums. She can take in a complicated question, quickly get to the heart of it, appreciate the nuances, and respond with remarkable clarity and substance. I invariably come away impressed by the depth of her thinking and her command of the issues.

What I value most about Lee is that her intelligence is matched by a strong sense of principle. She understands that public policy is rarely simple and that good decisions require listening and considering different points of view. At the same time, she has a clear sense of right and wrong and is not afraid to take a stand, even when it may be difficult or unpopular.

Lee also knows what it means to govern. As chair of the Westport Board of Education, she has wrestled with budgets, competing priorities, strong disagreements, and difficult decisions, with the responsibility of turning those decisions into results.

The ability to listen, understand complex issues, stand up for what you believe is right, and follow through is what I want in someone representing our community. Lee has the judgment, experience, and heart to represent us well in Hartford. She has my vote on November 3, and I hope she’ll have yours.

Lauren Soloff
Juniper Road
Westport

She’s a proven leader locally. 

Let’s get her to Hartford to represent Westport!

Lee Goldstein is absolutely the perfect choice to be our next State Representative! For years I listened to her reasoned approaches to our many educational needs, especially evidenced in her yearly, well-presented State of the Town messages.

For Lee, the Board of Education has been an excellent proving ground for governing, not just education. She has worked on many of the same issues a State Representative confronts: budgets, capital projects, healthcare, labor, technology, policy, oversight, and long-term planning. She knows how to move complex issues, even in turbulent and fractious times, from planning and public debate through funding, decision-making, and implementation.

She has learned that effective government depends on relationships—listening, working through disagreement, building coalitions, making difficult decisions, and then continuing to work together afterward.

She also understands firsthand how decisions made in Hartford affect Westport’s schools, our municipal budgets, our infrastructure, and our residents. She brings the local perspective needed to represent Westport effectively at the State Capitol.

And for Lee, being a State Representative is more than casting votes. It means understanding the issues, advocating for the district, building necessary support, nurturing relationships, and getting meaningful results. She is committed to bringing Westport’s perspective to the legislature and delivering results. 

Lee is willing and ready! She also has a great sense of humor. We are incredibly lucky that she has stepped up for us.

Sincerely,

Nancy Axthelm
Minute Man Hill
Westport