Sheila Quinn, a Darien Democrat running for state representative in the Nov. 5 election, was endorsed Tuesday at her party’s convention for the 141st state assembly district. She’ll be running against Republican Tracy Marra, who has held the seat since 2022.
— an announcement from the Darien Democratic Town Committee
Democratic delegates from Darien and Norwalk voted unanimously to elect her the party’s nominee.
“I look forward to the party’s continued support as we move forward to November’s election and work to elect a Democrat who can partner with House leadership to get things done and achieve meaningful progress for the people in our communities,” Quinn said in a statement.
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Sheila Quinn of Darien has been endorsed by a Democratic Party convention to challenge state Rep. Tracy Marra for the 141st Assembly District.
Quinn lives in Darien with her two daughters, one who recently graduated and another entering high school. She and her partner, Filippo Pistone, opened their own business, Bacchanal Wine Imports, with more than 500 clients throughout Connecticut. Quinn is a graduate of New York University, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.
In her address to convention delegates, Quinn said:
“I am running because we need to put a Democrat in the state assembly to represent our communities, and I strongly believe now is the time to make it happen. I am ready and looking forward to meeting folks in our towns, shaking hands with Democrats, Independents and Republicans alike. Because I believe we need leaders who represent all people.”
Quinn said her campaign is focused on issues, including improving Connecticut’s economy, investing in education, addressing the mental health crisis and bringing the state’s infrastructure into the 21st century.
“Our issues are the issues of everyday people. With the help of everyone here tonight and throughout our towns, I believe we can win this seat. We’ve seen it happen before in the communities around us. Now we have the chance to make it happen here in our community,” Quinn said.
Quinn added that she has support from neighboring state representatives and state senators as well as from Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, fellow Democrats who have “pledged their full support.”
The 141st state House district includes Rowayton and Wilson Point in Norwalk and nearly all of Darien, with the exception of a chunk of the northeast corner of town (you can see a map of it here).
Stewart McKinney represented the district from 1967 until he ran for Congress and became U.S. representative from the Fourth Congressional District in 1971. Ralph Van Norstrand represented the district from 1976 to 1987. In his last term, he was speaker of the state House of Representatives.
Reginald Jones and John Ryan also represented the district. Terry Wood was the state representative for the district from 2009 to 2023 and Marra since then. Since at least 1967 the seat has only been held by Republicans.
“The district has long been a Republican stronghold but local Democrats see opportunity in 2024,” the announcement said.