Rep. Kelvin Roldán (D) has a powerful story. Born in Puerto Rico and raised in Hartford's Stowe Village housing project along with seven of his siblings, Roldán has come a long way. After attending elementary and secondary school in Connecticut, he went on to attend Middlebury College in Vermont, receiving his bachelor's degree with a double major in Chinese language and political science. He returned to Connecticut to complete his master's degree in public policy from Trinity College in Hartford. And at 28 years old, he became the youngest Hispanic ever elected to the Connecticut General Assembly, serving Hartford's 4th Assembly District.[1]

Although Hartford was once a prosperous city, it is now one of the poorest in the nation and is the poorest city in the state. Serving a large number of less fortunate people, Rep. Roldán has witnessed the benefits of using the state's Citizens' Election Program.

"When you tell people that it only takes $5 to contribute, then you can actually have people involved who otherwise would not even be able to participate in the process due to the cost. I mean, not everyone can afford to give $100; $5 is an easy way of getting involved in the electoral process," Roldán said.

By easing the barriers into the political process for those wishing to get involved, those of lesser means, who have struggled for a voice in the past, are now able to contribute to candidates. As a result of the program, the donation from the day laborer is just as important as the one from the corporate CEO.

"I do believe that this is a question of access; I do believe that there are more people now involved in the process than there would have been...The program does give hope to people for involvement and not only that, but if you look at the people who have contributed to the program, a significant number of them have never contributed to another political campaign," Roldán noted.

In addition to opening the doors to greater citizen involvement, Connecticut's Citizens' Election Program has also freed Rep. Roldán to focus on important issues. Having run under the traditional system in 2006 when he was first elected to the General Assembly, Rep. Roldán saw a stark difference in how he used his time.

"I'm concentrating now on talking to my constituents...[my interactions] have mostly now been about the policies and the work, not any discussions about money," Roldán said. The Citizens' Election Program provided an avenue to talk about "the real needs of the people that we represent," he said. Roldán also found that the program created a greater opportunity for public discourse, by allowing candidates to test ideas and discuss important issues. "Isn't that what Democracy is all about?" he stated.

Rep. Roldán is currently the Vice-Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and also serves on the Judiciary and Insurance & Real Estate Committees. In the past, big money donors from those industries regulated by these committees would typically have bombarded the committee members for their vote - and may have succeeded - regardless of the impact on constituents. With the institution of the Citizens' Election Program, the influence of such special interests has been drastically reduced.

In addition to serving in the legislature, Roldán is also the Head of Strategic Partnerships for the Hartford Public Schools System. Because he is not weighed down by the campaign money chase, Rep. Roldán is now able to focus his attention on what really matters to him - education.

 
[1] "Biography," State Representative Kelvin Roldán. House Democrats, Connecticut General Assembly. 12 March 2009. <http://www.housedems.ct.gov/Roldan/bio004.asp>.