U.S. Marine Veteran Gwen Samuel to Launch Independent Campaign for Connecticut State Senate District 9

U.S. Marine veteran and longtime Connecticut parent, family and community advocate Gwen Samuel will officially launch her campaign for Connecticut State Senate District 9 on Saturday, August 29, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the Connecticut State Veterans Memorial at Minuteman Park, near the State Capitol and Legislative Office Building in Hartford.

Samuel is running as an endorsed Independent candidate and will appear on Row 4D in the November 3 general election. The campaign launch will carry the theme: "SEND A VETERAN TO THE STATE CAPITOL — SERVICE ABOVE POLITICS." The gathering will also recognize the 110th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, connecting Samuel's military service with her call for continued public service.

"I learned as a Marine that service isn't about political parties — it's about answering the call when Connecticut taxpayers and America as a whole need help," Samuel said. "I served my country then, and I am still serving. Now I am asking the people of District 9 to send a veteran to the State Capitol — an independent voice committed to families, parents and children, taxpayers, seniors, veterans, small businesses, working people and our communities. Marines are taught to leave no one behind, and that same principle will guide how I serve the people of Connecticut."

Central Priorities

Samuel's campaign will focus on affordability and fiscal accountability — reducing the financial pressures facing Connecticut families and taxpayers while protecting taxpayer dollars and demanding transparency in how public money is spent; protecting parents' and children's rights; and strengthening public safety and communities, including supporting Connecticut's veterans.

Samuel says her Independent candidacy is also about giving voters another choice at a time when many Connecticut residents feel caught between the state's two major political parties. "Connecticut families don't live their lives according to party labels. They want to know whether they can afford their homes, whether their children are safe and thriving, and whether government is listening to them. This campaign is about putting people before politics and bringing those voices back into the State Capitol and families back to the voting polls."

The launch will take place against the backdrop of the Connecticut State Veterans Memorial at Minuteman Park, which honors Connecticut residents who have served in the United States Armed Forces. "This campaign is also about preparing the next generation of leaders. I have invited two young people, ages 17 and 21, to join us and share their voices at the campaign launch — because leadership means opening doors, removing barriers and making room for the next generation to lead."

Veterans, military families, parents, taxpayers, community members of all party affiliations, and residents of Senate District 9 are invited to attend.