New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Soup kitchen head seeks state representative seat for Hamden
HAMDEN — A Democratic primary for the Connecticut House of Representatives’ 88th District seat may be in the cards this election season.
Joshua Watkins, executive director of New Haven’s Community Soup Kitchen, told the New Haven Register he plans to officially launch his candidacy at an event Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, incumbent Rep. Josh Elliott, D-Hamden, is eyeing two spots on the ballot: one for his current seat, and one for secretary of the state.
Elliott previously launched an exploratory committee for the statewide office. While his candidacy remains in the exploratory phase, he said Monday, he plans to convert to an official run.
Elliott also will seek to remain on the ballot for his current office, he said, adding that primaasked ries allow candidates to run for more than one position.
“I always welcome a challenger, and I think democracy is better with more people throwing their hat in the ring,” he said when about Watkins.
Elliott has represented the 88th District since 2017. He owns two health food stores — Thyme & Season on Whitney Avenue, and the Common Bond Market in Shelton.
While in office, he championed a bill to give inmates free phone calls, supported legalizing recreational cannabis and advocated to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour.
The representative is working on a “a bill to ensure that we have menstrual products in public spaces” and “a bill to make sure that patients have given consent” when doctors perform pelvic exams, he said. He also supports ranked-choice voting and expanding voting rights.
Meanwhile, Watkins moved to Hamden about two years ago but already has forayed into the political sphere. He managed former Mayor Curt Balzano Leng’s 2021 reelection campaign and made an unsuccessful bid for Board of Education the same year.
Watkins currently sits on the Economic Development Commission.
He previously lived in New York City, where he ran city senior programs and sat on multiple advisory and community boards, according to his bio.
As the pandemic enveloped Manhattan, Watkins sought to leave the area. After staying with family in Washington, Conn., he said, he and his wife chose to make Hamden their home.
He says he is running for state representative to see how he can help the people of Hamden.
“Hamden’s a beautiful place. You walk around and everybody’s extremely friendly,” Watkins said. “It’s a place that I feel like I want to spend the rest of my life at. If you live in a place and you care about a place, you should do everything you can to keep that place as beautiful as possible.”
If elected, Watkins would form a residents’ advisory board to gain insight into how he should vote on various issues, he said. He also expressed a desire to partner with the mayoral administration to see how the state can help the town and possibly ease its tax burden.
Watson would prioritize issues including food insecurity, mental health, homelessness and senior services, he said.
The Hamden Democratic Town Committee will select which 88th District candidate to endorse during its May 24 meeting, according to DTC Chairman Sean Grace.
Candidates who do not win the endorsement may petition for a spot on the ballot, Grace said.