PROUDLY SERVING THE 16TH DISTRICT
State Senator Rob Sampson
Senior Deputy Republican Leader
Rob Sampson, re-elected to a fourth term in 2024, represents Connecticut’s 16th District. He is the Ranking Member on the Government Administration & Elections Committee, the Housing Committee, and the Labor & Public Employees Committee. Rob is widely known as an advocate for America’s core principles, restoring our system of limited, representative, constitutional government, protecting private contracts and defending the natural rights of his constituents.
“I am honored to be chosen by the people of the 16th District as their voice at the State Capitol. I remain committed to defending our American principles of freedom, representation, limited constitutional self-government, and the rule of law. I believe that with hard work and our collective voices, Connecticut can become a safer and more affordable state with a bright future for all. As always, I will put in the hard work to make it happen.”
LATEST COLUMN
'Truth Is Not Optional' (October 2026)
Election season can have a way of reducing people to labels.
I’m not talking about everyone. Most people can judge others as individuals. But our political culture increasingly encourages something less thoughtful. Turning party affiliation into something it was never meant to be: a substitute for judging candidates.
STATEMENT ON THE OCTOBER 20 STATE SENATE DEBATE
The debate between Senator Rob Sampson and Jack Perry is moving forward and is scheduled for Tuesday, October 20, at 7:00 PM at the Southington Municipal Center.
However, I want the public to understand why this debate will not be the debate I originally challenged Mr. Perry to have.
On October 2, I publicly challenged Mr. Perry to debate the accusations he had already made about my legislative record. These were not subjects I selected for him. They were the very issues HE chose to raise in his own campaign materials to make his case against me.
My challenge could not have been clearer:
"We can debate the very accusations YOU have chosen to make against me."
"Bring your mailers. Bring your advertisements. Bring your social media posts. Bring today's claims about my votes. You choose the accusations. I will bring my record, the legislation, and my reasons for every vote I cast."
His public response was unequivocal: "I gladly accept."
Yet when it came time to arrange the debate, Mr. Perry objected to dedicating any portion of it specifically to those accusations. I even offered to limit that discussion to just 15 minutes of a one-hour debate, with equal speaking time for both candidates.
He still would not agree.
Rather than agree to a dedicated discussion of the accusations he chose to make, Mr. Perry's objections led our independent moderator to propose an alternative format. And despite repeated efforts to finalize arrangements, Mr. Perry waited until 3:05 PM today, five minutes after my deadline, to finally accept that alternative.
Let me be clear: Mr. Perry accepted a specific challenge, then refused to agree to a dedicated discussion of the very accusations he chose to make. I do not consider that honoring his word.
Nevertheless, I will still "gladly" participate in Tuesday's debate under the moderator's alternative format. But I will not pretend that the original challenge and the replacement format are the same thing.
Under the alternative format, the moderator will pose questions to both candidates, followed by an opportunity for the candidates to question each other directly.
Each campaign has agreed to a maximum of 25 reserved seats. The Municipal Center has 85 chairs, leaving up to 35 seats available to the general public, subject to final venue arrangements. We are also working to confirm recording and livestreaming so residents who cannot attend can watch.
I appreciate the efforts of our independent moderator and Southington Town Council Chairman Paul Chaplinsky in helping organize the event.
I will be there Tuesday evening, ready to defend every vote I have cast, explain the principles behind my decisions, and discuss the issues facing our district.
I hope residents will join us in person or watch the debate once the final viewing arrangements are announced.
Senator Rob Sampson
Sen. Rob Sampson: Jack Perry Has Put Almost $300,000 of His Own Money Into This Campaign Through September 30
Wolcott — State Sen. Rob Sampson (R-16) today called on the press to examine the contrast between his Democratic opponent Jack Perry’s most recent State Elections Enforcement Commission filing and the way Perry presents himself to voters.
Through the end of September, Perry has put almost $300,000 of his own money into the campaign. In the July 1 through September 30 period alone, the committee reported roughly $287,500 in expenditures, much of it to out-of-state consultants and $25,000 for polling. Voters can review the documents on the SEEC site.
“There is nothing wrong with a candidate spending his own money,” Sen. Sampson said. “What voters should notice is the distance between that fact and the way Mr. Perry describes himself. He presents himself as an ordinary working-class candidate who knows what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck and who is fighting for people who are struggling with the cost of living. Very few people living paycheck to paycheck can put almost $300,000 of their own money into a campaign for State Senate.”
By comparison, Sen. Sampson is participating in the Citizens’ Election Program. That program exists to keep a level playing field. It requires a candidate to raise small contributions from at least 300 residents of the district and then limits what the campaign can spend. Sen. Sampson’s campaign will spend roughly $150,000 in total, money raised under those rules rather than a personal check from the candidate. Mr. Perry did not participate in the program.
“Connecticut’s problems are the direct result of one-party Democratic rule in Hartford,” Sen. Sampson said. “I have been the check against that agenda. I have spent my time in the legislature making the case for limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the rights of taxpayers. Those positions and the votes that go with them are public.”
“Mr. Perry is using more than twice the money I will be able to spend to repeat claims about my record that are not true. He blames me for rising electric rates even though I have been one of the strongest critics of the Governor and the majority’s policies that created the public benefits charge and drove those rates higher. He says I do not support tax relief for seniors even though I introduce a bill for that relief every year, and the Democrats who control the legislature refuse to take it up. The votes are public. The bill numbers are public. The explanations are public.”
Sen. Sampson said the press has a responsibility to report on this race and on the claims being made in it, especially when one side is spending more than twice as much to amplify them. Anyone who wants the actual record instead of the version that is being mailed and advertised can find it at sampsonforct.com/truth.
“People who know the record and support what we are fighting for, a better Connecticut, need to be vigilant,” Sen. Sampson said. “Do not leave the response to the paid advertising. Get the facts out. Defend the record. Make sure the truth is known. Vote.”
FACT CHECK – Sampson for CT – Rob Sampson for Senate 2026
sampsonforct.com
Fact check: Jack Perry’s light-bulb mailer blames the wrong person for your electric bill Jack Perry’s latest mailer says that with me in office, “higher[…]
It was a pleasure joining the Southington Housing Authority, the Main Street Community Foundation, and residents of DiCaprio Forgione Terrace today to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of their beautiful new gazebo!
This wonderful addition provides residents with a welcoming space to gather, spend time together, and strengthen the already incredible sense of community they share.
One of the highlights of the day was speaking with the residents and seeing firsthand just how close-knit this community is. Their excitement and appreciation for this new gathering space were truly heartwarming!
A special thank you to the Southington Housing Authority and the Main Street Community Foundation for making this project possible and for their continued dedication to improving the quality of life for our residents.
It's always wonderful to see projects like this bring people together and make our communities even stronger!