Position: Constable
Name: Keri Hoehne
Education: THS Class of 1998, Bachelors of Arts from Boston College, 2002
Occupation: Executive Vice President of the UFCW Local 371. In this capacity I represent workers in a variety of private sector industries such as supermarkets, food production, food service, healthcare, and others. Each day I fight to make sure that working families receive the pay that they deserve, have access to affordable healthcare and retirement security, and have fair scheduling that allows them to build a better life by taking time off to rest, spend time with family, and contribute to their places of worship and their community.
Family: My husband, Chris and I have three daughters, Bayly, Cali and Josie.
Community Involvement: I am the First Vice President of the CT AFL CIO, a member of the governor’s Workforce Council, and have been involved in the PTO at Vogel and Southwest Schools. I raise money for Make a Wish and other local charities, hosting an annual golf tournament and an annual Shoot for the Cure, which together raise over $30,000 per year.
City Positions Held: Constable for four terms, City Council for one term and on the Torrington Democratic Town Committee for seventeen years. I have had the privilege of presiding over dozens of weddings as a Justice of the Peace.
Why I Run for Office: When my husband and I decided to return to the NW Corner following college, we took a different route than many of our friends, and chose to move back into Torrington, instead of one of the wealthier surrounding towns. We wanted our children to grow up in a diverse, working class community. Over the over 10 years since our oldest daughter started going to school in Torrington Public Schools, we have watched the tax burden be transferred more and more onto the shoulders of residents, as our tax base diminished. At the same time, we have seen our wonderful educators do more with less year over year. Many of my children’s classmates have moved out of our schools over the years, going to wealthier communities or costly magnet programs. I believe that we cannot cut our way to growth. We must invest in economic development which will bring more businesses to town and allow us to invest in our education system. Once we have done that, more young families will want to move back here and put down roots. We have always taught our daughters that if you believe in something, you need to put the time in and fight for it. When voters resoundingly voted yes to build a new high school and middle school, I realized that there are many residents like myself who believe in Torrington’s future, and I recommitted myself to being a part of it.