Simmons, Martin to face off in Sept. 14 primary
Democratic voters to choose between current state representative and incumbent mayor
STAMFORD — The primary contest between state Rep. Caroline Simmons and Mayor David Martin is officially on.
Martin said earlier this week that he had submitted about 3,000 signatures to the registrars as he looked to qualify for the primary ballot. The office has now certified about 2,000 signatures as having come from registered
Democrats in Stamford, Democratic Registrar Ron Malloy said Friday. Martin only needed 1,550 to force the primary.
Martin is seeking a third and final term as Stamford’s mayor. Simmons, D-144, launched her campaign against Martin in February and locked up the Democratic City Committee’s endorsement last month. Voters will make their choice on Sept. 14.
Meanwhile, Bobby Valentine, the former manager of Major League Baseball teams including the New York Mets, has successfully petitioned his way onto the November ballot as an unaffiliated candidate. And the Republican-endorsed candidate is former cop and musician Joe Corsello.
Martin told The Stamford Advocate that he is looking to win the primary by highlighting his administration’s accomplishments.
He pointed to, among other things, the city government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic under his leadership, Stamford’s AAA bond rating, his efforts to repave roads, a reduction in response times to 911 calls, improved intersections and the development of an apartment complex on a downtown plot that had previously been home to a “hole in
the ground.”
He said he also plans to emphasize his experience not only as mayor but as a former member of the Board of Finance and the Board of Representatives.
When it comes to tackling city issues, Martin said, “the devil is in the details. The solution is understanding the details as well, and that’s why we’ve been able to get so much done.”
“I’m not a guy who’s a celebrity with a book deal,” he said. “I’m not somebody who is very charismatic but basically looking to advance their political career. I’m working for the people of the city of Stamford. I love what I’m doing, and we’re making progress, and I want one more term to get more of these things accomplished for the people of the city.”
Simmons told The Advocate while she had hoped that her party would “come together” after she received the DCC’s endorsement last month, she is “not shying away” from a primary battle now.
“I’ve been focused on knocking on doors, talking to residents to hear from them about their concerns about the future of our city,” Simmons said. “And I think what the endorsement
reflects and what all the momentum and support we’ve been receiving reflects is that people want a change, they want to be heard and they want to see our city work better for the people of Stamford.”
She said she believes some residents are experiencing “Martin fatigue” after his eight years in office and are craving new leadership.
Among her goals as mayor would be improving
the city’s responsiveness to citizens — and she said that issue will be an area of focus for her campaign in the weeks leading up to the primary.
“I hear from constituents who reach out to the city or to the mayor’s office to try to get an issue fixed, and they feel dismissed or that there’s an excuse made for why their problem can’t get fixed,” she said.
And when she has done
walking events in parts of the city like the West Side and the South End, Simmons said residents have complained to her about the amount of development in their neighborhoods and told her “their voices haven’t been a part of the process.”
Some residents have also told Simmons they feel like their neighborhoods have been “neglected” by the city when it comes to problems like crumbling sidewalks and litter.
“This is unacceptable,” Simmons said. “We need to make sure that every neighborhood has access to equal resources, quality parks, access to community centers — not just certain neighborhoods.”
Simmons also noted that, in contrast to Martin, she has years of experience on both the state and federal government levels. She worked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security before she became a state representative in 2015. In the Connecticut General Assembly, she is a co-chair of the legislature’s Commerce Committee.
With that experience and the relationships she has formed in Hartford and Washington, she thinks she can be a “much stronger ambassador and champion for Stamford.”
Simmons has raised more than three times as much money as Martin so far. Martin pulled in about $78,000 in contributions from individuals during the first half of the year, while Simmons raised about $239,000.
Valentine, who announced his campaign in May, has already outraised both of them. His campaign reported about $300,000 in contributions from individuals as of the end of June.