Democratic Councilwoman Enters Hamden Mayoral Race

HAMDEN, CT - Hamden at-large Councilwoman Lauren Garrett has announced she running for mayor in the election on November 5. As a frugal yet progressive Democrat, Councilwoman Garrett aims to break Hamden’s cycle of fiscal irresponsibility, while celebrating and promoting the diversity and values of Hamden. Without budget gimmicks, Hamden’s deficit is nine million dollars. The budget gimmicks used to balance the budget added to hamden’s over $500 million in total long-term liabilities (including $285 million in bond obligations).

From the steps of Hamden Memorial Town Hall, Councilwoman Lauren Garrett declared her mayoral candidacy. In her announcement, Councilwoman Garrett expressed her frustrations with the financial troubles she has battled as a member of the Hamden Legislative Council: “As of 2017, our net position is over $500 Million in the hole. Our long term debt is $285 Million and given the deficit from last year and the one we are running this year, it’s getting worse.”

Councilwoman Garrett is a mom of three kids in Hamden public schools, a volunteer and a small business owner. She began knocking on doors and making phone calls for democratic candidates in 2006. She has been a substitute teacher, a classroom volunteer and a room parent. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering in 2003. She was elected to the Democratic Town Committee in 2016, and served on the Inland Wetlands Commission.

Before the November 5, 2019 General Election contest, Councilwoman Garrett will presumably face a primary against the second-term incumbent Hamden Mayor and long-time local politician Curt Leng, who has been an elected or appointed town official since the 1990s. The Mayor creates the budget and holds most of the power in Hamden. Councilwoman Garrett stated: “We all agree that decades of underfunding the pension has gotten us into this mess, but that is exactly what the administration is continuing to do. Current and past administrations have been borrowing to supplement the operating budget. This is increasing our debt and liabilities every year.”

While Hamden’s perennial budget problems were the motivation for Councilwoman Garrett’s decision to enter the race at the beginning of the year, the tragic events of April 16, 2019 are certain to impact the mayoral race: “The recent shooting of Stephanie Washington by a Hamden Police Officer highlights the need for us to listen to Hamden’s black and brown community, fully implement appropriate community policing, make changes to police procedures and train police to ensure that our first response to everyone in Hamden is to ask questions, to be restrained and to de-escalate. Systematic change cannot happen unless you change the system.”

The presumed primary is slated to take place on September 10, several months after the Hamden Democratic Town Committee makes its official endorsement in mid-July: “I need a diverse team of people to join this effort and have a voice in our community. As a leader, I know that success is not mine, success is a team effort and I hope you will be a part of my team.”

Co-Campaign Manager, Sean Grace, encouraged anyone interested in joining this grass roots effort to follow Lauren For Hamden on Facebook and to sign up at LaurenForHamden.com