From international finance to public service
Last week, Greenwich Democrats endorsed Steve Meskers to run for a fifth term in the State House of Representatives. At a time when families are worried about affordability and exhausted by political theater, Greenwich is fortunate to have something increasingly rare: a legislator focused on solving problems, building relationships, and delivering results.
Meskers did not arrive at the State House as a career politician. After a long, successful career in international finance, he brought his experience in budgeting, negotiation, and building consensus into public service. A member of Greenwich’s Representative Town Meeting since 2002, he had built a reputation for thoughtful, pragmatic leadership long before running for state office.
In 2018, Meskers first ran for the State Representative in the 150th—a district that had not elected a Democrat in more than a century. He won. Then voters sent him back three more times, each election reinforcing the same message: Greenwich residents value seriousness, collaboration, and results over rhetoric.
Results for Greenwich
Today, Meskers serves as chair of the Commerce Committee and is a member of the Human Services and Insurance & Real Estate Committees. His work has helped secure critical state support for Greenwich priorities, including funding for the Old Greenwich and Central Middle School building projects, as well as traffic safety improvements in Byram, Pemberwick and Glenville, and for many local nonprofits.
Over his recent term, Meskers backed legislation passing a balanced budget, expanding childcare access, increasing public school funding, strengthening gun safety laws, protecting voting rights, and supporting businesses and economic development. These are not abstract policy debates for him; they are the real issues that impact daily life.
Focus on affordability, opportunity
Whether he’s knocking on doors, attending community events, or meeting with constituents, Meskers says the same themes come up repeatedly: housing costs, childcare expenses, healthcare affordability, and energy bills. Families want Connecticut to remain a place where young people can build a future, where seniors can afford to stay, and where businesses can continue to grow.
He approaches those concerns with the same mindset he’s brought to public service for years: listen carefully, work collaboratively, and stay focused on solutions.
A record and reason for optimism
There is something increasingly valuable in today’s political climate about Meskers’ steady optimism. He believes government can still work when people put community ahead of politics and focus on shared goals. Connecticut has shown that progress is possible when leaders work together. Greenwich has clearly benefited from having a representative who understands how to build those coalitions.
As Meskers often says, “Good things happen when we all work together.” After four terms in Hartford—that’s not just a slogan—it’s a track record.
Greenwich Public Schools students outperforming national, state trends
At a time when the vast majority of school districts across the country continue to struggle with post-pandemic learning loss, Greenwich Public Schools have completely rebounded and continue to improve. The New York Times recently reported on results from Stanford University’s Educational Opportunity Project that found Greenwich students significantly outperformed national averages in both reading and mathematics over the past decade. While most districts experienced declines post Covid, Greenwich has maintained exceptionally strong reading performance and posted notable gains in math, placing the district among the highest-performing school systems in Connecticut.
New Lebanon earns recognition
One of the clearest examples of that success is New Lebanon School, which has emerged as a statewide model for academic achievement and student support.
Governor Ned Lamont and Connecticut Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker recently announced that New Lebanon was selected as one of just six 2026 Connecticut Blue Ribbon Schools. The recognition honors schools that demonstrate high levels of academic excellence, foster inclusive and supportive learning environments, and achieve strong outcomes for all students.
Serving 363 students in Pre-K through Grade 5, New Lebanon is one of Greenwich’s most diverse elementary schools. Nearly 60% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, and approximately 12% are English or multilingual learners.
Students show academic gains
In 2024-25, New Lebanon achieved its highest accountability score to date—89.3, above the state target of 85—while earning School of Distinction status for the third time in four years.
The school posted its highest subject performance scores since 2014-15 across all subjects for both overall students and students with high needs. Mathematics growth was impressive, with students achieving an average of 86% of their growth targets.
English and multilingual learners ranked among the top 2% of schools statewide in oral and literacy growth toward English proficiency, achieving 84.2% of oral targets and 96.5% of literacy targets.
District leaders credit the school’s success to strong instructional leadership, targeted academic support during the school day, robust arts programming, and a school culture where students are excited to learn and educators take enormous pride in their work.
What we’re reading
The Trump administration’s creation of a $1.776 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” as part of a settlement over leaked tax returns is drawing criticism from legal observers and lawmakers—including some Republicans.
“This case is nothing but a racket,” quipped Congressman Jamie Raskin, who called the arrangement a “huge slush fund” to funnel taxpayer dollars to Trump allies claiming political persecution, including January 6 rioters who attacked the Capitol. Read the story here.
Action Calendar
June 5. Wear orange.
Recognize victims and survivors of gun violence. Speaker: Earl Bloodworth of CT Against Gun Violence. 1-2 p.m., Town Hall Meeting Room, 101 Field Point Road.
June 6. Stand proud.
Raise the flag for Greenwich Pride, 4 p.m., Greenwich Town Hall, 101 Field Point Road.
June 12. Engage.
Join Greenwich Selectwoman Rachel Khanna for coffee and conversation at 1 p.m. Hear about what’s happening in town and bring your questions or comments. Coffee for Good, 48 Maple Avenue.
June 15. Learn.
Hear law professor and New York Times bestselling author Melissa Murray on her new book, “The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader.” Space limited; registration required. 7 p.m., First Congregational Church, 108 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich.
| Volume 4, Number 48 • May 28, 2026 |
| Paid for by the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee. |
| Greenwich Democratic Town Committee P.O. Box 126 Greenwich, CT 06836 |