New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Former federal prosecutor announces run for mayor
NEW HAVEN — Just about a month after forming an exploratory committee for a possible mayoral run, former federal prosecutor and legal aid lawyer Liam Brennan announced plans Wednesday to run for mayor, making him the fourth Democrat to officially enter the race.
Brennan, 44, who filed papers Tuesday to form a campaign committee, also unveiled a new website at www.liamfornewhaven.com and new Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, as well a YouTube campaign launch video.
He joins fellow Democrats Tom Goldenberg and former alder and retired police sergeant Shafiq Abdussabur in challenging two-term Mayor Justin Elicker for the Democratic nomination to run for mayor.
Also Wednesday, local activist Wendy Hamilton submitted eight pages of petitions for an independent mayoral run. The City Clerk’s office is in the process of checking the signatures to certify that she has enough to qualify, said Deputy City Clerk May Gardner-Reed.
Brennan, a native of Stamford and graduate of Yale Law School who lives in the city’s Westville section, currently works as inspector general investigating police misconduct in Hartford. He has pledged to run “an innovative and different” campaign.
“We can end the failed War on Drugs in New Haven while tackling gun violence through effective municipal gun regulations,” Brennan said. “We can increase the availability and affordability of housing, and we can ensure that our children receive a world class education.
“We can do this by reimagining how our city government works and committing ourselves to making it work better, by having city government work with the people of New Haven instead of standing in their way,” Brennan said.
“I love this city. It’s been my home for almost 20 years. It’s where I’ve built life and been raising my children,” he said. “New Haven’s culture blends so many different traditions from across the country and the world to create something truly special.”
Over the past two decades, “I’ve fought corrupt hedge fund managers and dirty politicians, advocated for affordable housing, educational equity and a more just legal system,” Brennan said. “And like so many before me, I’ve found a city rooted in community, culture and the promise of a brighter tomorrow.
“But for decades, our city government has left too many behind,” he said. “In 2023, each and every New Haven voter will have a clear choice — a choice between two more years of the status quo or two years of progress towards a better city for everyone.”
In New Haven, as in “cities around the country, we face some tough challenges,” Brennan said. “But New Haven has the power, talent and creativity to meet these obstacles head-on. We just need the political will. If we come together as a city today, we’ll be stronger facing the challenges of tomorrow.”
Brennan previously was a legal aid attorney, serving as executive director of the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center and a staff attorney at New Haven Legal Assistance. He worked for years as a federal prosecutor in the fraud section in Washington, D.C. Then he moved back to New Haven, becoming head of Connecticut’s Public Corruption Task Force. Among other cases, he was involved in the prosecution of former Gov. John Rowland, he said.
“My experiences leading government and nonprofit efforts give me the skills and ideas to take on this role,” he said. “But, most importantly, my love for this city makes me the best candidate for the job.”
Elicker responded to Brennan entering the race by saying, “In these past three years, we’ve invested more in underserved communities than this city has in decades — in increasing affordable housing, in supporting Black and brown businesspeople, in supporting the unhoused. New Haven should be a place where everybody has the opportunity to thrive, and all of us are working toward that goal.”
He added, that “of the four (other) candidates running for mayor, the only one I have consistently seen” out and around the city “is Wendy Hamilton.”
“I welcome Liam Brennan to the mayoral race,” said Goldenberg. “The number of candidates running as challengers against Justin Elicker is a clear message that the city of New Haven is dissatisfied with the current administration and wants change.”
Abdussabur didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.