By Meghan Muldoon
Lee Goldstein, chair of the Westport Board of Education, is running for Connecticut state representative in the 136th District, which represents most of Westport.
The seat is currently held by Jonathan Steinberg, who said in January that he will not seek re-election after serving since 2011. Goldstein will battle long-time RTM member Matthew Mandell for endorsement by the Democratic party. Mandell launched his campaign last week.
Goldstein, who has served on the Board of Education since 2019 and as chair since 2021, said she is running to bring experienced leadership to Hartford.
““When the state doesn’t meet its obligations in terms of education cost-sharing grants and when they don’t meet their statutory special ed requirements, all those costs are passed to the town and those get translated into property taxes,” Goldstein told Westport Journal. “We have a lot of people in Westport whose wealth is bound up in their houses and are vulnerable to tax increases and we need to think about that.”
During her tenure as chair, Goldstein has overseen several major school initiatives, including the renovation of Coleytown Middle School and the planned construction of Long Lots Elementary School and Stepping Stones Preschool. She also helped guide the development of a long-term capital improvement plan for the district.
The mother of two Staples High School graduates said school budgets have passed unanimously during her time as chair, which she attributes to her efforts at fostering collaboration between the Board of Education and town funding bodies.
In her announcement, Goldstein also cited broader policy concerns, including federal funding uncertainty and issues related to public health, education, reproductive rights, and gun safety.
“Connecticut needs steady, values-driven leaders in Hartford who recognize what’s at stake and bring people together to solve problems,” she said.
Goldstein is a graduate of Yale University and has lived in Westport since 2013. She previously worked as a high school English teacher, a professional writer and editor and manager of a family foundation.
She has also served on the Westport Arts Advisory Committee and volunteered with the Mercy Learning Center. Goldstein is the second candidate to announce a run for the state’s 136th District seat.
Meghan Muldoon
Meghan Muldoon is a freelance journalist based in Darien, Connecticut. As a television and print journalist, Muldoon has covered state government and politics in Virginia and Connecticut.
I could not be more thrilled with this news! I worked with Lee on the Coleytown Middle School mold remediation project and she was a fantastic leader. She was organized, level-headed and informed on all local and state regulations regarding building renovation. The success of that project is due in no small part to Lee’s efforts. Westport will be well represented with Lee in Hartford. She is the smart, even-tempered leader we need.
I served on the Board of Education alongside Lee Goldstein for four years, and she was Chairwoman the entire time. We disagreed often—more than any other two members on the board.
But disagreement never changed my respect for her. Lee is one of the smartest and hardest-working people I’ve had the chance to work with up close. She shows up, does the work, and takes the responsibility seriously.
You don’t have to agree with someone on everything to recognize their character. In fact, when you disagree with someone, you sometimes see their character even more clearly—just through a different lens. Lee has integrity, conviction, and a genuine commitment to this community.
Lee will always fight for Westport.
Robert, you also don’t have to encourage people to send them to Hartford so they can implement all the things you disagreed with. Is that not just commonsense?
No mention of Ms Goldstein’s handling of the soccer coach controversy as chairman of the Board of Education in her biography. From what I could see the soccer coach was denied a chance to call his own witnesses. His name and reputation was dragged through the mud leading to his justifiable lawsuit to clear his name.
The soccer coach controversy should be brought up during the campaign and maybe the public could get a clearer picture of what went on during those Board of Ed meetings chaired by Ms. Goldstein.
What is going on with the lawsuit by the soccer coach now? The coverage on that topic has not been updated and the voters need to know during Ms. Goldstein’s campaign.