Bristol Democrat Dave Roche announced he will be running for State Senate in the 31st District this year. Roche unsuccessfully ran against current Republican State Senator Jason Welch, who is said to be not running this year.
Roche is president of the Connecticut State Construction and Building Trades Council, business manager of Sheet Metal Workers Local 40, and an executive board member of the Connecticut AFL-CIO. A press release said Roche has “spent his career finding jobs for people and putting people back to work. He is proud to have represented workers and local businesses in and around Bristol since 1979.”
“I’m a construction worker, not a politician, and I’m running because I want to create more opportunities for good jobs and to create good schools for every kid, such as technical schools like the one I went to. I understand what a hard day’s work is, and we need those values in the State Senate,” Roche said in the release.
“I’ve worked with Dave for years to create middle class jobs that can support a family. As a working mother myself, I’m excited to support Dave Roche for state senate,” said Diana Lavoie, a construction worker with Local 40 and Bristol mother of a 4-year-old daughter said in a press release.
While being in his union role, Roche championed the “Helmets to Hardhats” program that works to place veterans in construction jobs.
“After years of representing hardworking building trades workers, I would be honored to continue serving middle-class families in the state senate,” he added.
“Our coalition has only grown since 2012,” said Joella Mudry, treasurer of Dave Roche for State Senate 2014, and local community advocate. “We have a strong team and I’ve heard from so many local families that we need to support Dave for victory in this campaign.”
The 31st District includes Bristol, Harwinton, Plainville, Plymouth, and Thomaston.