Jo Anne Simon, as a disability civil rights lawyer, educator, community activist, and progressive NY State Assemblymember, has dedicated her life to fighting for equal rights. She won a landmark case that went up to the Supreme Court and changed the landscape for disability rights nationwide. Simon was elected to the New York State Assembly representing District 52 in 2015. She is the chair of the Committee on Ethics and Guidance and the Commission on Legislative Ethics.

Simon is a fierce advocate who has pushed for affordable housing and environmental protections. She has passed major legislation on campaign finance reform, gender equity, gun violence prevention, and education. Simon is a leader in gun violence prevention and established New York’s first firearms violence prevention research institute. She also passed New York’s red flag law, the Extreme Risk Protection Order bill, which restricts access to firearms for those who pose a serious risk of harm to themselves or others.

Troy Singleton has devoted his life to public service in all levels of government, political, and policy posts. In 2011, he was elected to his first term in the New Jersey General Assembly, representing the over 220,000 residents of the 7th Legislative District. Senator Singleton was elected to the New Jersey State Senate in November 2017 and currently serves as chairman of the Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee and is the senate majority whip. During his time in the legislature, Senator Singleton had a significant number of proposals signed into law and has received numerous awards for his public service and legislative acumen from business, education, civic, labor, and non-profit organizations.

Steve Stafstrom represents the Bridgeport neighborhoods of Black Rock, Brooklawn, and the West End. First elected to the General Assembly in 2015 during a special election, Stafstrom serves as house chairman of the Judiciary Committee and sits on the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee.

As chair of the Judiciary Committee, he has focused on strengthening Connecticut’s gun regulations, protecting minority communities, increasing fairness and transparency in the justice system, and making statutes and courts more business-friendly. Chair Stafstrom has led the passage on banning ghost guns, requiring safe storage of all firearms in a home with children under 18, and requiring guns to be securely locked in cars to reduce the number of stolen guns on our streets. He also led the passage on modernizing Connecticut’s “Red Flag Law,” the nation’s first-of-its-kind legislation following the 1998 shooting at the CT Lottery.

Having attended public schools in Orange, Stafstrom completed his undergraduate degree in politics and philosophy at Fairfield University and received his juris doctorate from the Saint Louis University School of Law. He is currently a member of the Bridgeport-based Pullman & Comley, LLC law firm, practicing commercial litigation.  He lives in Black Rock with his wife and two daughters.