Former president endorses Simmons in Stamford mayoral race

STAMFORD — Democratic mayoral candidate and state Rep. Caroline Simmons worked to get Barack Obama elected. Now, the former president is returning the favor.

“Caroline Simmons knows what it takes to create real change, and she’ll help make Stamford an even better place for families and businesses. That’s why I’m endorsing her for mayor,” Obama said in a statement released by Simmons’ campaign Thursday.

Obama is known to endorse candidates for federal and state offices, but an endorsement by the former president of a mayoral candidate is much less common. In 2017, he endorsed

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman.

“He is someone who has been an inspiration to me in my career, and I was so lucky to have the opportunity to work on his campaign and his transition team and in his administration,” Simmons told Hearst Connecticut Media. “And it’s really a tremendous honor to have his endorsement in this election.”

Simmons said she started on Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign as an unpaid intern and later had a paid role. She was on a team at the campaign’s headquarters in Chicago that focused on new media.

On Obama’s transition team, Simmons said she worked with a group that performed a review of the federal government’s departments and agencies. After that, she worked at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as a special assistant, policy analyst and director of special projects.

“I’ve stayed in contact with some of his team, and so we reached out and let them know about our race and that we would be honored to have his endorsement,” Simmons said. “And we were delighted to hear that he had said ‘yes’.”

“I’m hopeful that it’ll just continue to help generate support among voters here, who I know were very supportive of President Obama as well and the impact he had on our state and our country,” she added.

Simmons said she has met Obama in person twice.