Jarmoc to Again Challenge Kissel For Senate Seat

Former state Rep. Karen Jarmoc will once again take on incumbent state Sen. John Kissel in a bid to capture the 7th Senatorial District seat he has held since 1995.

 “I will bring my leadership, work ethic and fight to help the people of this district," Jarmoc, a Democrat, said in a press release Monday. "The towns of Enfield, East Granby, Granby, Suffield, Somers, Windsor and Windsor Locks need a Senator who can initiate and get things done. These are still tough times for many people, particularly for our area of the state. We need a leader that will show up every day on their behalf.”

In the release, Jarmoc was critical of Kissel's alleged lack of initiative.

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“John Kissel has been State Senator for twenty years without having passed a single piece of his own legislation," she said in the release. "He is a nice person, but it is time for someone else to try harder and get results for the people of the district.”

Jarmoc served as state representative for the 59th District from 2007-2010. She stepped down from that seat to challenge Kissel in 2010, but fell short by just under a thousand votes.

While serving in the House, Jarmoc worked on issues such as protecting children in this recession, safe work conditions for correctional employees, and small business. For her work, Jarmoc received the ACAM Award from Asnuntuck Community College for advancing the manufacturing industry in Connecticut. She was also recognized as a “Children’s Champion” by the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance for her leadership in the area of early childcare and education.

Last fall, Jarmoc was appointed to the Connecticut Airport Authority Board and chairs outreach initiatives with an aim to increase economic development in and around Bradley International Airport, as well as the state’s five general aviation airports. For several years, she has chaired the Board of the Foundation, where she has led efforts to help students graduate and grow the school’s model manufacturing technology program. She is a longtime member of both the North Central Connecticut Chamber of Commerce and the Enfield Rotary Club, receiving the Paul Harris Fellowship Award in 2011.

She currently works as Executive Director of the Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence, a cause that she has long championed for victims of abuse.

A graduate of Simmons College, she holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Trinity College. She is married to Stephen Jarmoc, a third-generation tobacco farmer. They have three children, Owen, 16, Grace, 16, and Celia, 12.