It's About You

Anthony Acri

Republican Candidate for 
State Representative
Connecticut's 97th District


Welcome to AnthonyAcri.com

Putting the 97th District First by strengthening our communities, supporting families, and delivering practical solutions for Connecticut.

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Anthony Acri

Welcome to AnthonyAcri.com

Welcome to the official campaign website of Anthony Acri, Republican candidate for State Representative for Connecticut's 97th District. Thank you for visiting. This campaign is built on a simple belief: our community deserves leadership that listens, works hard, and puts the people of the 97th District first. This website is your place to learn about Anthony, his priorities, upcoming events, and the issues that matter most to our neighborhoods. Whether you're looking to learn more about the campaign, volunteer your time, share your ideas, or stay informed, we're glad you're here. Together, we can strengthen our community, promote responsible government, and ensure that every resident has a voice in Hartford.

Meet Anthony
Anthony Acri is proud to call the 97th District home and is committed to serving the people of our community with honesty, integrity, and accountability. He believes government works best when elected officials remain accessible, transparent, and focused on the needs of the people they represent. Throughout this campaign, Anthony is committed to listening to residents, supporting public safety, encouraging economic opportunity, protecting taxpayers, and advocating for policies that strengthen our neighborhoods and improve the quality of life for everyone in the 97th District. Anthony understands that meaningful change begins with listening, and he is ready to bring your voice to the Connecticut State Capitol. Thank you for taking the time to visit AnthonyAcri.com. We invite you to explore the website, learn more about the campaign, and join us as we work together for a stronger future for Connecticut's 97th District.

Anthony's Priorities

🏘️ Strong Neighborhoods

📚 Education & Families

🚓 Public Safety

💼 Economic Opportunity

❤️ Mental Health & Recovery

🤝 Honest, Accessible Leadership

My Only Agenda is YOU

It's About You
This year's election is one of the most important our community has faced in years. The decisions we make today will shape the future of our neighborhoods, our businesses, our schools, public safety, our local economy, and the trust we place in our government.

I believe voters deserve to know what guides the people asking to represent them. For me, it's simple: my focus is you—your family, your neighborhood, your livelihood, and the future of Connecticut's 97th District.

As your State Representative, I will listen to every resident and represent our community with honesty, integrity, and accountability. My commitment is to serve all constituents, regardless of political affiliation, because every voice deserves to be heard.

My priorities are clear:

**Strengthening our local economy and supporting small businesses.

**Addressing homelessness with practical, compassionate, and effective solutions.

**Supporting Second Chance initiatives that reduce recidivism while promoting personal responsibility.

**Working with law enforcement, first responders, and community leaders to improve public safety.

**Strengthening education and supporting the important role parents play in their children's education.

I believe leadership begins with listening. I'll always be honest about where I stand, explain the reasons behind my decisions, and remain accessible to the people I represent.

Together, we can build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous future for our community. Now more than ever... it's about you.

                                                 ~~ Anthony Acri

Anthony's Top Priorities As New Haven's
97th State Representative

It's not about the Politics, it's about the RESULTS!

Strengthening Connecticut's Economy and Supporting Small Businesses
As a businessman, Anthony has helped companies improve operations, reduce unnecessary expenses, and identify opportunities for sustainable growth. In one instance, he helped a company grow from $1 million to $22 million in annual revenue over six years. That experience taught him that businesses succeed when government creates an environment that encourages innovation, investment, and opportunity—not unnecessary obstacles. As your State Representative, Anthony will fight for policies that help businesses start, grow, and remain in Connecticut. He believes small businesses are the backbone of our economy and that government should be a partner in their success, not a barrier.
Anthony's priorities include:
  **Reducing unnecessary regulations
that make it harder for businesses to operate and expand. Supporting responsible tax policies that allow businesses to invest, hire, and remain competitive.    **Strengthening workforce
development by expanding partnerships with trade schools, community colleges, apprenticeship programs, and local employers.
   **Encouraging economic investment
that brings new jobs and revitalizes neighborhoods throughout the 97th District.
**Promoting fiscal responsibility by supporting balanced budgets, reducing wasteful spending, and increasing transparency in state government.    **Supporting Connecticut
manufacturers and small businesses by advocating for policies that encourage them to stay, grow, and invest in our communities.
Anthony believes that when businesses succeed, workers succeed, families prosper, and communities become stronger. His goal is to help create an economy where businesses want to invest, entrepreneurs can thrive, and the next generation chooses to build its future here in Connecticut.

Public Safety & Supporting First Responders
Every family deserves to feel safe in their home, at work, at school, and throughout their community. Public safety is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of government, and Anthony believes our neighborhoods are strongest when residents, law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and community organizations work together.
As your State Representative, Anthony will advocate for policies that provide law enforcement, firefighters, EMS personnel, and other first responders with the resources, training, and support they need to protect our communities safely and effectively. He believes we must also recognize the physical and emotional challenges these professionals face every day while serving others.
Anthony's priorities include:
  **Supporting Connecticut's first responders through responsible state funding, training opportunities, and access to modern equipment.     **Strengthening public safety laws that protect victims, hold violent offenders accountable, and help keep dangerous criminals off our streets.
    **Expanding mental health and substance use resources to address the root causes of many public safety challenges while ensuring individuals in crisis receive appropriate care.
   **Supporting crime prevention initiatives that build stronger partnerships between residents, schools, community organizations, and law enforcement.  **Backing recruitment and
retention efforts so police departments, fire departments, and emergency medical services can continue attracting qualified professionals to serve our communities. **Advocating for resources that
help reduce domestic violence, gun violence, and the opioid crisis through prevention, treatment, enforcement, and community collaboration.

Anthony believes that supporting first responders and investing in safer communities are not competing priorities—they go hand in hand. Every resident deserves to feel secure, every victim deserves justice, and every first responder deserves the respect, resources, and support necessary to perform their duties effectively.
Together, we can build safer neighborhoods, stronger communities, and a Connecticut where families have confidence in their future.



Education: Putting Students First
Every child deserves access to a high-quality education that prepares them for success in college, the skilled trades, the workforce, military service, or whatever path they choose. Education should open doors, not limit opportunities. Connecticut invests billions of dollars in public education each year, and New Haven receives significant state funding. While many dedicated teachers, administrators, and school staff work tirelessly on behalf of our students, the academic outcomes do not consistently reflect the level of investment being made. We owe it to our children, parents, educators, and taxpayers to ask why—and to pursue solutions that improve student achievement.
As your State Representative, Anthony will advocate for policies that put students first by focusing on accountability, academic excellence, and opportunities for every child to succeed.
Anthony's priorities include:
**Ensuring education funding is
used effectively and reaches the classroom where it has the greatest impact on student learning.
  **Supporting academic excellence
by strengthening reading, writing, mathematics, science, and career readiness.
  **Expanding career and technical education so students interested in skilled trades and workforce careers graduate with valuable skills and opportunities.           **Supporting teachers by providing
the resources and professional support they need to help students succeed.  **Encouraging transparency and accountability so parents and taxpayers understand how education funding is being spent and how schools are performing.
        **Protecting the important role of parents by encouraging meaningful communication and partnership between families and schools.
Success isn't measured only by a
four-year college degree. Every student
deserves the opportunity to graduate prepared for the path that's right for them—whether that's college, military service, an apprenticeship, a technical trade, or entering the workforce.
By emphasizing academic excellence, responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, strong partnerships between schools and families, and expanded career opportunities, we can ensure every child—regardless of their ZIP code—has the foundation to succeed and the confidence to pursue their future.

Supporting Parents and Strengthening Families
Parents play the most important role in their children's lives and should be respected as essential partners in their education. Strong schools are built on strong partnerships among parents, teachers, administrators, and local communities, with every child at the center of that partnership.
As your State Representative, Anthony will support policies that encourage transparency, open communication, and meaningful parental involvement in their children's education. Parents deserve to be informed, engaged, and heard when decisions affect their children and their family's future.
Anthony's priorities include:
     **Supporting parental involvement in educational decisions that affect their children.
      **Promoting transparency between schools and families through open communication and access to information.   
   **Encouraging collaboration among parents, educators, school administrators, and local communities to improve
student success.
     **Protecting the rights of parents to remain actively involved in their children's education while respecting the professionalism and dedication of Connecticut's educators.
     **Supporting local decision-making that reflects the needs and values of individual communities whenever appropriate under state law.
Anthony believes that the strongest educational outcomes occur when parents, teachers, and schools work together with mutual respect and shared responsibility. Every parent deserves to have a voice, every educator deserves support, and every child deserves the opportunity to succeed.
Anthony's Commitment
Parents are not spectators in their children's education—they are partners. As your State Representative, I will advocate for policies that respect parental involvement, strengthen communication between families and schools, and ensure that every child's best interests remain the highest priority.

Building Pathways Out of Homelessness
Homelessness is one of the most complex challenges facing Connecticut. Behind every individual experiencing homelessness is a unique story that may include mental illness, substance use disorder, trauma, domestic violence, financial hardship, or other life circumstances. Lasting solutions require more than temporary shelter—they require coordinated support, accountability, and a pathway toward independence.
As your State Representative, Anthony will advocate for policies that address both the immediate needs of individuals experiencing homelessness and the underlying issues that contribute to housing instability.
Anthony's priorities include:
       **Expanding access to emergency shelter so no one is left without a safe place during times of crisis.
     **Supporting mental health and substance use treatment as essential components of long-term housing stability.
      **Promoting supportive housing programs that combine stable housing with case management, behavioral health services, employment assistance, and life skills development.
     **Encouraging outreach teams that connect individuals living on the streets with services, treatment, and housing opportunities.
      **Improving accountability by ensuring state-funded programs are measured
by meaningful outcomes that help
 individuals achieve long-term stability and independence.
       **Strengthening partnerships among state agencies, municipalities, nonprofit organizations, healthcare providers, and community organizations to coordinate services more effectively.
Anthony recognizes there is no single solution to homelessness. Lasting change requires compassion, responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and evidence-based approaches that help individuals move from crisis to stability, from dependence to independence, and ultimately toward self-sufficiency. Anthony's Commitment
Every person deserves dignity, hope, and the opportunity to rebuild their life. As your State Representative, I will support policies that invest in recovery, mental health, housing stability, and personal responsibility while ensuring resources are used effectively to produce meaningful, lasting results for individuals and our communities.

Supporting Second Chances and Safer Communities
 Every successful second chance creates a safer community, strengthens families, and reduces the number of future crime victims. Anthony believes that accountability and rehabilitation should work together to help individuals who have paid their debt to society become productive, law-abiding members of their communities.
For years, Anthony has traveled to correctional facilities across the
country as a motivational speaker, encouraging incarcerated individuals to prepare for successful reentry by making positive choices, accepting personal responsibility, and taking advantage of opportunities for education, employment, and personal growth.
Anthony has sat across the table
from men and women who believed
their lives were over, and he has
watched many of them rebuild their futures. Those experiences have strengthened his belief that reducing recidivism begins by creating pathways
to recovery, employment, personal responsibility, and hope.
His firsthand experience has shown him that lasting change is possible when people are given the tools, support, and accountability needed to succeed.
As your State Representative, Anthony will advocate for policies that:
   **Support evidence-based reentry programs that reduce recidivism and improve public safety.
    **Expand access to job training, education, and workforce development for individuals returning to their communities.
  **Strengthen partnerships among correctional facilities, employers, community organizations, and
treatment providers to improve successful reentry.
        **Support recovery services and mental health treatment, recognizing
that many individuals involved in
the criminal justice system struggle
with substance use disorders or
untreated mental illness.
       **Promote personal responsibility while providing opportunities
for individuals committed to
rebuilding their lives.
Anthony believes the goal is not simply reducing prison populations—it is reducing future crime. Every individual who successfully returns to work, reunites with family, remains sober, and avoids reoffending represents a stronger family, a safer neighborhood, and a more successful Connecticut.
Anthony's Commitment
Public safety and second chances are
not opposing ideas—they work together. As your State Representative, I will support policies that hold individuals accountable while creating meaningful opportunities for rehabilitation, recovery, employment, and successful reintegration into our communities.

Putting the 97th District First
Every neighborhood deserves a representative who listens, responds, and works every day to improve the quality of life for the people who call it home. Anthony is committed to representing every resident of Connecticut's 97th District with honesty, accessibility, and accountability.
Anthony's Priorities
🏘️ Strong Neighborhoods Support responsible development that respects existing neighborhoods while encouraging thoughtful economic
growth and revitalization.
🚓 Safe Communities Advocate for policies that strengthen public safety, support first responders, and ensure families can live, work, and enjoy their communities with confidence.
💼 Economic Opportunity Promote policies that help businesses grow,
create good-paying jobs, and keep Connecticut affordable for working families and retirees.
📚 Strong Schools & Strong Families Support high-quality education, meaningful parental involvement,
and opportunities that prepare every student for a successful future.
🤝 Accessible Leadership Be present, listen to residents, and provide responsive, transparent representation. Every constituent deserves to be heard and treated with respect.
Anthony's Commitment
Public service begins by listening. As your State Representative, I will remain accessible, approachable, and accountable to every resident of the 97th District. My door will always be open because your concerns will always matter.

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