Wisialowski Focuses on Education, Human Services in Second Bid for 23rd House District

Jane Wisialowski, who left a career in business development to work with older adults and people struggling with mental illness, is running for state representative in the 23rd House District. 

Wisialowski, a Democrat, ran for the seat two years ago against incumbent Devin Carney, who is not seeking reelection. 

She recalled finishing 462 votes behind Carney. 

“I got close, but didn’t get over the finish line before him,” she said. “It was a great experience and I felt very, very much supported by the community and very encouraged. And I didn’t even hesitate to say I’m coming back.”

This time, she faces Republican Barbara Labriola, Old Saybrook’s town treasurer.

The 23rd House District covers Lyme, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, and part of Westbrook. 

Wisialowski, who was elected to the Old Saybrook Board of Selectmen in 2025, has served on the Board of Education since 2022 and was on the Parks and Recreation Commission from 2021 to 2025. 

She is a member of the Valley Shore YMCA Board of Directors. 

The 22-year Old Saybrook resident said her experience has taught her about the district and given her a sense of what’s important to its residents.

She said her local school board experience will bring valuable perspective in the state legislature.  

Wisialowski is hoping to change the Education Cost Sharing grant – a state-funded program that allocates funding to schools across the state. She said the grant program is widely criticized for not adequately addressing the rising costs of special education. 

“It’s a big thing that’s been kind of a mess since 2013,” she said. “It’s a mystery how this formula was put together, and I’d like to be part of the solution to re-engineer that.”

If Wisialowski wins the seat, she plans to step down from the local school board. She said there will be overlapping issues, such as considering a cellphone ban in schools and looking into free lunch and breakfast programs, which could put her in tricky situations if she were serving locally and statewide.

She said she will be able to manage her role as a selectman for at least another year, until her term expires.

Part of the Solution

With a background in the corporate world that started in marketing, Wisialowski eventually launched a new branch of Brady Corporation in Australia. She remained there for several years, running the marketing and customer service departments. 

When she returned to the United States, she moved to Old Saybrook with her husband.

In 2008, she learned her mom had Alzheimer’s disease, which sparked a career change to eldercare services, a path for which she developed a passion.

“I wanted to give back to the community instead of being so driven on making money for big companies,” she said. 

Then she worked for the Agency on Aging, a nonprofit organization that offers services to older adults and individuals with disabilities. She described the experience as “poignant.” 

In 2022, Wisialowski became a conservator, supervising financial affairs for vulnerable individuals and helping them navigate state programs and insurance. She works on cases throughout the state assigned by the probate court. She was surprised to learn that the job was not centered mostly around older individuals with dementia or those living in nursing homes, but also includes a share of younger people struggling with mental health issues. 

She described helping conserved individuals and their families through difficult transitions as eye-opening. 

“I feel like I’m part of the solution,” she said. 

She expressed optimism that her work will help earn her a seat on the state legislature’s Human Services and Aging committees. She said her perspective will make her more knowledgeable on policies affecting people who rely on social services, including HUSKY Health insurance and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 

Wisialowski said she likes the idea of bringing more nonprofits and small businesses onto the insurance plan that covers state workers, a concept first broached by Gov. Ned Lamont and Comptroller Sean Scanlon. The change would be “a real game changer,” according to the 23rd District hopeful.

“I think this is an excellent opportunity to grow the insurance pool and offer more cost-effective insurance to more people,” she said. “I want to be a strong voice of support for this type of fiscal ingenuity.“

Wisialowski raised her two sons in Old Saybrook. Her older son, 23, recently earned a master’s degree at Brown University and works in software development in San Francisco. Her younger son, a senior at Marist University, recently became an emergency medical technician and plans to become a physician assistant. 

“It’s truly unbelievable what they’ve experienced,” she said. “I felt so much gratitude for what my family has been able to enjoy living here in this community.”

Wisialowski said she believes effective policymaking starts with listening to different perspectives and looking for common ground. 

In her experience, people with differing views aren’t necessarily diametrically opposed.

“It’s really listening to a lot of good ideas, a lot of good perspectives and coming up with a collaborative solution,” she said.