At least 2 Dems weighing 2021 runs for mayor
STAMFORD – At least two Democrats are weighing runs for mayor next year, even as it remains unclear whether the party incumbent will seek a third term.
Mayor David Martin will announce in January whether he is in the race, according to a statement this week from his office.
In the meantime, Democratic Board of Finance Vice Chair Mary Lou Rinaldi said Tuesday she has “pretty much decided” that she will run in 2021.
“We’ve been hearing that the mayor has been oscillating on whether to run,” said Rinaldi, a Stamford native. “Based on that, I began to give it serious consideration.”
If she should win, Rinaldi, 67, would be the first woman to hold the office.
“I think it’s well past time for women to be in leading roles,” she said.
“Stamford has never in its history had a female mayor, even though towns all around us have.”
The other Democrat known to be planning to run is a newcomer, though his family has been in city politics for decades. Christopher Malloy, nephew of
former Stamford mayor and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, said Tuesday he plans to throw his hat in the ring.
“I’m making calls and getting a lot of encouragement,” said Malloy, 43, owner of a construction business, Stamford Building Company. “I am putting together an exploratory committee and campaign advisers, and ultimately I will launch a campaign.”
Malloy has not held elected office, other than a District 1 seat on the Democratic City Committee, but his job has provided an education about the workings of the city, he said.
“As small-business owner, I have navigated through the housing authority, the environmental
protection board, the golf commission, the (sewer authority,) the zoning board, the zoning board of appeals, the planning board, the health department, the building department, the historic preservation commission, the harbor management commission,” Malloy said. “People I have been contacting say, ‘You have more exposure to these departments than a lot of people on the Board of Representatives.’ More importantly, I have been able to see the city through the eyes of everyday citizens. It allows me to empathize with the frustrations and rewards of contact with the city.”
Rinaldi, Malloy and other members of the Democratic City Committee said this week that others in government have contacted party members to gauge support for a pos
sible run.
Town Clerk Lyda Ruijter said so far no one has filed paperwork with her office to launch a mayoral campaign.
Fritz Blau, chair of the Republican Town Committee, said that party has a couple of prospects for the 2021 mayoral race.
“I have two people who I think are very capable who have expressed interest,” Blau said. “Both could be strong candidates.”
Rinaldi said the practice is for prospective candidates to first seek support from DCC members, who will vote on which one to endorse. The party then throws its support behind the endorsed candidate.
“If you don’t get the endorsement, you can primary. To initiate a primary, you have to collect a certain number of signatures,” Rinaldi said. “I
would be prepared to do that.”
Her city service started in 1991, when she worked as executive aide to former Mayor Thom Serrani. She was elected to eight consecutive terms on the Board of Representatives, the first woman to serve her district. In 1993, board members elected Rinaldi president. She was one of only three women in city history to lead the board.
She has held a seat on the Board of Finance for the last 25 years, including terms as chair. She is the only elected official to hold leadership positions on the city’s governing and fiscal boards.
Beyond that experience, she would draw on her career in human resources if she becomes the city’s chief executive, said Rinaldi, a retired senior HR manager for GE Capital.
“I think it is imperative
for the city to look at how it is organized,” she said. “A lot of the job descriptions are decades old. I think we have to look at how they are related to the core services the city provides, and whether we are using the talents of employees well.”
It would make the city more efficient, she said.
“I ran leadership programs so I know how to develop talent, who to nurture and promote, how to evaluate and hire,” Rinaldi said. “I think they are important skills to bring to the management of the city.”
Malloy said his family has been in Stamford politics for many years – his father, William, was president of the DCC in the 1970s.
“A tremendous sense of community has been passed down. As one of 11 children, I was taught that
you give more than you take,” Malloy said. “I love this city. It has given me everything I could possibly want. I will be here for the rest of my life and I want to make sure it will be even better for my future kids and their kids.”
He would focus on helping middle-class people buy homes, which builds stable communities and family financial health, Malloy said.
“We need housing stock in the $450,000 to $550,000 range. I know from my business there are a lot of people who rent who want to get into a small house or townhouse or condo. They want to stay in Stamford but just aren’t able to do it.”
Bolstering the middle class, he said, “100 percent needs to happen.”