Christopher Woodside
STAMFORD — Chris Woodside, 25, has learned much since his first foray into politics two years ago when he ran unsuccessfully for District 2 of the Board of Representatives.
Political campaigns can be used to divide people, especially on hotbutton issues that may play more prominently at the national level, Woodside said, but local issues like taxes, infrastructure and longterm planning are also important, if not more.
“At the end of the day, the local level is not dealing with those (national) issues. We’re looking at folks who are trying to pay their tax bills, mortgages but are just not able to do so,” Woodside said.
Finance board members serve for four years on a staggered schedule. This year incumbents May Lou Rinaldi and David Kooris, are running again, but fellow Democrat Dudley Williams is not seeking reelection. Also vying for the three open spots on the finance board are Republicans Andrew Krill and Fritz Blau, and Democrat Geoff Alswanger.
Back in November 2017, Woodside obtained 717 votes, losing to Republicans J. R. McMullen and Charles Pia, Jr., who obtained 740 and 765 votes, respectively.
Then, Woodside ran as a Reform Stamford Democrat.
Now, the Stamford High School 2012 graduate who is in his second year teaching at Trinity Catholic High School is gunning for a seat on the city’s finance board as a Republican.
Why the party change? To Woodside, who has never held public office, it’s not about what side of the aisle you identify with in local politics but rather about the mentality necessary to make Stamford a city that longterm residents and newcomers can afford to live in and stay.
And for the millennial, that means focusing on schools, infrastructure and fiscal discipline.
“One of the most important issues are the school and what’s going on with the mold and everything,” Woodside said. He praised the city boards’ efforts to get rid of the mold but, Woodside noted, it’s also about getting ahead of the issue.
“We have to look at how we’re spending the money and if it will provide and ensure that (mold) is not something we deal with again in 20 years. It’s about making a longterm investment in schools — the city has been very good at being reactionary but, what I can bring, is the perspective of being proactive,” Woodside said.
Coming from a family that has called Stamford home for almost 100 years, Woodside believes in his family’s tradition of giving back to the community, something he’s hoping to achieve through politics.
Woodside also said he’s focused on maintaining aspects of Stamford’s history.
The Republican candidate highlighted the need to keep the city affordable for those residents who have grown up and want to build their lives in the city.
“Large developers are coming in and buildings look great and it all looks stunning, but the people moving in are folks who are here for a job and one day that job is going to leave. We need to look at our past and see what our future is going to be like,”
Chris Woodside
Party: Republican
Age: 25
Incumbent: No
Current job: Teacher at Trinity Catholic High School
Education: Stamford High School graduate, the Catholic University of America
The most important issue in this election: The most important issue facing Stamford is the reckless and irresponsible spending by the city when they write blank checks to the Board of Education for more and more mold remediation. We have a moral duty to eradicate mold and make our public schools safe, but if we want this to be a long term solution we need to investigate how this was allowed to happen, who was responsible, and develop a long term maintenance plan to ensure this does not ever happen again.
Other issues: Stamford residents have seen what the nearly two terms of Democratic leadership in this city has given us. Our tax bills are increasing, while the values of our homes continue to decrease. The Mayor has instead allowed city fiscal policy to be dictated by large developers and corporations, and has continually sold out to these big businesses rather than standing up for the residents of this city. For these past two terms, we have seen current members of the Board of Finance allow our school infrastructure to crumble, our tax bills to skyrocket, and have stood by while Mayor Martin allows (Building and Land Technology) and other developers to run our city. The residents need someone who will stand up for them and embrace the history of what makes Stamford great, rather than attempt to destroy it.
Family: My family can trace their roots in Stamford back to the 1920s. Both of my maternal grandparents grew up in Stamford. When America was faced with one of the world’s greatest evils in Nazi Germany, my grandfather and six of his brothers enlisted in service to fight overseas. These seven brothers, the DiPreta brothers, were the most from a single family anywhere in the United States to all go off to fight in World War II. Of the seven that left, six returned. Ever since, my family has always been committed to service of our community and our country. Over my life, I have heard stories of my family and their commitment to service, and how much Stamford has changed over the years. The Stamford that we know and love is not one that is run by outside corporations, or one that seeks to develop on any open piece of land regardless of the history of that land. Nor is it one that pushes families out of their homes in the historic South End, for the purpose lining the pockets of out of town developers. We must reclaim our city once again.
Previous elected offices, community group affiliations: Did not respond
Woodside said.
With a tight teaching schedule at Trinity Catholic High School, Woodside planned to campaign on weeknights and weekends, something he attributes to his time management skills.
“It’s about people who share similar values and recognize that our tax bills are going up and home values are decreasing,” the Stamford native said. “At the local level, the Republicans seem to be providing that check to the mayor’s administration that is responsible for the tax increases.”