Former Westport Second Selectman Avi Kaner endorses Toni Boucher for State Senate

Cites Boucher’s “outstanding bipartisan leadership in getting Holocaust education legislation passed.”

Former Westport Second Selectman Avi Kaner has endorsed Toni Boucher for the 26th District’s State Senate seat, which includes Wilton, Westport, Weston, Redding and parts of Ridgefield, New Canaan, Darien and Stamford.

“We’ve all heard of anti-Semitic attacks locally and across our nation,” Kaner said.  “We must never forget The Holocaust, among the darkest days in human history. Senator Toni Boucher led the effort for holocaust education to be taught in our schools, never wavering in her quest or losing momentum. Toni never gave up as opponents of the bill tried to stop it. After 12 years of advocacy, she succeeded in putting it into law. As a Jewish family in Westport, we thank Toni and enthusiastically support her to be the next state Senator for Connecticut’s 26^th District.”

Kaner served as Second Selectman in Westport for four years after serving for eight years as the town’s Board of Finance chair.  He and his family have lived in Westport for 26 years and have been involved in numerous philanthropic causes, including Hadassah of Westport and AIPAC’s New Leadership Network.

“Toni exhibited outstanding bipartisan leadership in getting Holocaust education legislation passed in 2018,” Kaner said. “That bill’s passage was the result of Toni’s persistence and will. She repeatedly brought stakeholders together to create that Holocaust education law, which has made Connecticut a national model. Without Toni’s determination and her ability to forge compromise, that legislation would likely have never passed.”

“Avi is a dear friend who has dedicated years of his life to helping Westport remain stable through good times and bad,” Boucher said. “Avi’s collegial, nonpartisan leadership earned the respect of people from all political parties. I have long admired Avi for his solution-oriented approach to municipal governance. We need more Avi Kaners serving at all levels of government. It is humbling to have Avi’s support.”

In addition to Kaner, former Westport First Selectman Jim Marpe has also endorsed Boucher. Marpe cited Boucher’s “positive and supportive working relationship as State Senator when I served as Westport’s First Selectman, as an 8-year member and Vice Chairman of Westport’s Board of Education.”

Boucher served as 26th District State Senator from 2008 to 2019 and as a State Representative from 1997 to 2008. 

A pro-choice, socially moderate fiscal conservative who supports gay rights, Boucher has also been endorsed by the Connecticut Independent Party, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the Association for Retired Teachers of Connecticut, the Police Officers Association of Connecticut (which represents municipal police unions across the state), former Connecticut Governor Jodi Rell and former Connecticut Senate Minority Leader John McKinney.

Boucher encouraged voters of all parties, as well as unaffiliated voters, to visit www.ToniBoucher.com today for more information about her campaign and to learn about volunteer opportunities. Election Day is Nov. 8^th.