‘Rebuffed’ by Valentine, Independent Party endorsed Simmons

To the editor,

The Independent Party is the third largest party in Connecticut. We view ourselves as a centrist political party focused on electing good people who want to work across party lines to solve problems. We are proud to endorse state Rep. Caroline Simmons for the next mayor of Stamford.

It is true that Bobby Valentine was initially approached about the Independent Party endorsement and he rebuffed us, as reported in a recent Stamford Advocate story. We were interested in him because he was offering his candidacy as an unaffiliated candidate who would be, by extension, someone we thought was of independent mind. But it became evident to us that Valentine does not have the temperament or the experience to be mayor.

Therefore, the Independent Party did a reassessment. We found that Caroline Simmons has all the qualities a mayor should have.

Simmons is approachable, gracious and a good listener. We were impressed by her resume and experience. As co-chair of the legislature’s Commerce Committee, she has focused on helping women, minority and veteran-owned businesses. As a member of the Public Safety and Security Committee, she won the 2015 Connecticut Police Chiefs Association Legislator of the Year Award for legislation to support Stamford police. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, she passed legislation protecting victims of domestic abuse from gun violence. She secured $300 million in bonding funds for Stamford and if elected, she will deliver a local government that is more responsive to the needs of all its people.

We were also impressed that she worked for the federal Department of Homeland Security on counterterrorism and cyber security. In a global world, this perspective is invaluable.

Caroline Simmons reminds us of all the right reasons and high ideals that got us involved in public service in the first place.