Emily Hau

Emily Hau (Republican Party, Independent Party of Connecticut) is running for election to the Connecticut House of Representatives to represent District 132. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026.[source]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a problem-solver by trade and by temperament. For two decades I've worked at Yale University, where I run the day-to-day operations of the Yale Institute for Foundations of Data Science — work that comes down to one thing: getting people from very different worlds, from researchers to business leaders to government partners, into the same room to solve hard problems together. I began at the Yale Child Study Center, which sparked a lasting interest in autism and special education.

I bring that same approach home to Fairfield. When my neighbors were overpaying to heat their homes, I organized the Nutmegger Oil Group, a neighbor-run buying co-op that has grown from 117 households to more than 900 and saved members roughly $1.6 million. And when our town signed a speed-camera contract, I read the whole thing, caught that it cited another state's law, and built public tools that have helped hundreds of residents weigh in and hold local government accountable.

I don't just point at problems — I do the homework and build solutions, and I'll work with anyone willing to get something done. A Fairfield resident since 2015, I live here with my husband, William, and our two daughters. I'm running for State Representative because the people who live here deserve someone who reads the bills, tells the truth, and votes the way our community actually wants.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I don't promise affordability — I've delivered it. Everyone says "affordability." I'm the one who's actually lowered my neighbors' costs. Five years ago I started the Nutmegger Oil Group, a neighbor-run buying co-op that's grown from 117 households to more than 900. By pooling our purchasing power and rebidding the contract every year, we've kept roughly $1.6 million in local pockets. It isn't a slogan — it's arithmetic and organizing nobody else bothered to do. Connecticut families pay some of the highest energy costs in the country, and I'll bring the same organize-and-negotiate, read-the-contract approach to electricity and utilities. I've done it once; I'll do it in Hartford.I actually read the bills. Hartford is full of people who vote on things they haven't read, then send a newsletter about it. That's not me. When our town signed a speed-camera contract, I read the whole thing — and caught that it cited another state's law. I've spent years filing public-records requests and building public tools so residents can hold local government accountable. My promise is simple: I'll read the bills and contracts, and when what's written doesn't match what we were told, I'll say so — in public, with the documents attached. And I'll vote the way the people who live here actually want, not the way a party or lobbyist prefers.I don't just point at problems — I build the fix. For two decades at Yale, my job has been getting people from very different worlds — researchers, business leaders, government partners — into the same room to solve hard problems together. That's what our politics is missing. I'm a problem-solver, not a partisan: I listen first, do the homework, and measure what works. And I build things — my civic tools have already drawn hundreds of residents to weigh in, from protecting small-business parking to tracking the town's speed-camera process. I don't just complain about what's broken; I fix it, with anyone willing to help.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Three areas are personal to me. First, affordability — especially energy costs. I run a heating-oil co-op for 900+ families, so I see every winter how our highest-in-the-nation bills squeeze people, and I want to bring that same organize-and-negotiate approach to Hartford. Second, transparency and accountability: I read the contracts and bills most people don't, and I build public tools so residents can hold officials to what they voted for. And third, protecting our environment — open space and flood resilience. In a coastal town, flooding is a kitchen-table issue, and I'm working with Yale researchers to measure how much worse it gets as we pave over open ground. I'll defend our tree canopy with solutions we can actually afford.