Editor’s note: The Easton Courier asked candidates running for state office representing Easton to submit a bio and platform statement. Beth Cliff (D) is running for the Connecticut House of Representatives, representing District 112, which includes Monroe, Easton and Trumbull.
Profile
Cliff is a graduate of Princeton University and has an MBA from the University of Virginia. She has over 30 years of management and leadership experience in leading American corporations, at universities of international standing, and in boutique consulting firms serving Fortune Global 100 companies. Her roles have included work in marketing, sales, operations, and HR — always jobs involving serving people by understanding their needs and concerns and figuring out ways to address them.
Cliff and her husband Gordon raised two daughters, now 24 and 26, who grew up in the public school system. Currently she serves as the Chair of the Board for the Unitarian Universalist congregation in Westport, which draws from across lower Fairfield county. She helped restart the Friends of the Easton Library as its elected president, and together the team raised tens of thousands of dollars for the library. Locals will recognize her as “Ms. Claus” at the library’s tree lighting and holiday gathering in December. Currently she is head of publicity for the Easton Garden Club.
Statement
I am running because I see that this district needs more effective representation in Hartford. This is the only way that the people of the district will see their share of state resources come to their towns. Being a member of the majority party in Hartford will allow me to have a seat at the table and a strong voice for the district.
With more than 30 years of successful experience in the business world, I understand how to make the connections and build the coalitions required to deliver results. I will listen to the people in the district, to understand their issues and concerns. I will see that women’s voices will be heard, and I am committed to protecting equal rights and ensuring reproductive justice.
I am grateful for the work that women such as state Rep. Anne Hughes, D-135th, representing Easton, Redding, and Weston, have done to protect these rights in Connecticut, but the national political scene requires states like Connecticut to stand firm for its values: Whatever happens at the presidential level in November, we need to be prepared to fight against a potential onslaught of national and presidential overreach. Now more than ever, women and the underrepresented need a champion.
I support responsible fiscal policy and I believe that we can lower the tax burden on families while still supporting services such as education and healthcare through equitable and fair taxes. My husband and I both come from a long line of educators. There is no greater investment in our futures than providing outstanding opportunities for children to learn and grow. Education and access to healthcare will be top priorities in Hartford.
I will focus on preserving the open spaces and farmlands of Easton. I grew up in Connecticut farmland, and I understand the importance of these unique attributes of our wonderful community. I will work closely with both the town selectmen and the community at large to determine how the state can support this goal. It takes a listener, a coalition builder, and a tough and focused leader to work hard and deliver. I will bring real-world experience and a track record of getting things done — not just talking.
I know first-hand that the most critical step is to listen and understand what’s on people’s minds, and then to shape solutions that address those needs in creative and focused ways. As a wife with two grown daughters, who cared for her elderly parents in the last years of their lives, I know the pressures that families are under today. Easton families need a voice in Hartford, and this combination of skills, experience, and commitment is why I am uniquely qualified to fill this seat for Easton residents.
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