Our Candidates

Chris Williams

Chris grew-up in West Hartford graduating from Conard High School in 2001. He now lives with his wife and two children just a block from his childhood home and work as an attorney at Conway Stoughton, LLC located in Hartford.  Chris has served two terms on the West Hartford Town Council and currently sits on three subcommittees: Public Safety, Administration &  Technology and Education Liaison. During his time on the Council, Chris has advocated for policies to reverse West Hartford’s unsustainable budget trajectory which have made the Town increasingly unaffordable. He has also focused on policies designed to prevent the growth of the Town government and identify and reduce unnecessary spending. Chris’s goal in serving on the Town Council is to reform the Town government so that it is sustainable and affordable for future generations. Chris is a strong believer in public service and served on West Hartford’s Advisory Commission for Persons with Disabilities, the Conservation and Environment Commission, and as Town Council Zoning Alternate prior to serving on the Council.   

Mary Fay

Mary M. Fay, a resident of West Hartford for 15 years, is a Financial Services Senior Executive. She has held several senior business leadership roles, including Senior Vice President and General Manager of Sun Life Financial, where she also chaired diversity and inclusion employee resource groups and served on Sun Life boards. 
 Mary was raised in East Hartford and attended public schools.  She went on to graduate from Skidmore College, with a B.S. In business/accounting and a minor in government. 
 Active in her community.

She is a member of the Irish American Home Society and The Thistle Lawn Bowling Club, and is a parishioner at St. Timothy’s. Mary is married and has a 7-year-old daughter, Katie.

Department. A Conard High School graduate, she received her BA from UCONN and an MBA from RPI. 

Lee Gold

Lee Gold has resided in the Town of West Hartford, Connecticut since 1997. He is married to Monica Gold and has two school aged boys, Jack and Adam.

A lifelong Connecticut resident, he attended Kingswood-Oxford School and matriculated to Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania earning a bachelor’s degree in History and membership in Phi Beta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society.  Lee attended The University of Connecticut School of Law during which he served as a legal intern for the State’s attorney’s office in Norwich and New London. In 1997, Lee joined Butler, Norris & Gold, in Hartford, Connecticut and has continued to practice law there as a principal of the firm.

Lee presently serves on the Kingwood-Oxford Head’s Advisory council.  He is also very active in West Hartford Little League where he has been a coach for over 7 years.  He has been on the Board of Directors for Tumble Brook Country Club and was the President of Talcott Glen Condominium Association.  Lee is active in a number of bar associations, including the Connecticut Bar Association, the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, and the Hartford County Bar Association. He was a former member of the Board of Trustees for the Emmanuel Synagogue.

Lee is an avid skier and golfer.

Al Cortes

I am a life long Nutmegger who grew up in Hartford and moved to West Hartford in 1998 with my wife Jessica. We have 2 boys, Adrian who is 20 and Gabriel who is 11 both attend schools in West Hartford. 

I served as a cannon crew member in the CT Army National Guard for 6 years. In 1999 I started my career with CT Department of Corrections as a Correction Officer. During my career as a Correction Officer I was assigned to MacDougall Walker Correction Institution, Central Transportation Unit and Manson Youth Institution. I was also a recipient of the Public Service Award for my involvement in the community as a volunteer for various organizations.

I had the pleasure of serving as the Walk Chair for the greater Hartford chapter of Autism Speaks for 2 years. As a committee we were responsible for putting together a walk for over 7,500 participants and supporting them throughout the year so they can meet there fundraising goals. 

I am currently volunteer for the Hartford Marathon Foundation where I have been the Athlete Gear Check Coordinator since 2009. I also serve on the Church Council for West Hartford United Methodist Church.