Hamden Candidate Profile: Brad Macdowall For Legislative Council

HAMDEN, CT — The 2019 municipal election is heating up in Hamden and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Hamden Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Brad Macdowall is running for Legislative Council At-Large as a Democrat. He is currently representing Hamden’s 9th District on the Legislative Council.

Macdowall, a Hamden High School graduate, has been a Community Organizer for six years. He earned a bachelor's degree from Quinnipiac University.

Are you running for office in Hamden? Contact Vinnie Salzo at vincent.salzo@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Hamden Patch.

The single most pressing issue facing our town/district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Financial stability. It is critical that we stop compounding our debt. We need to focus on growing our grand list, paying down our debt, and being honest about our obligations instead of passing them on to the next generation.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Various successful initiatives over the last two years that have helped increase transparency in government and build a more environmentally sustainable community.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

Environmental sustainability, Fiscal stability, Building robust infrastructure that will attract commercial investment, social justice, equitable education, safer roads, and stronger communities.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

When the Tornado of 2018 wreaked havoc on West Woods, our first responders were remarkable, making sure families and individuals that needed emergency services or clean water and food had what they needed to make it through blocked roads and massive utility outages. When the Tornado hit, I was immediately on the phone and in the district within an hour, parking my car and climbing over blocked roads and driveways to make sure everyone was safe and facilitating emergency delivery of supplies where necessary. Relief still continues as residents wait for homes to be rebuilt and look to tax relief to help mitigate the cost of damage. I have also worked to advocate for federal legislation that would provide individual assistance from FEMA for individuals whose expenses from natural disasters are not covered by insurance.

With regards to environmental sustainability, Hamden is on its way to becoming a serious competitor in the region because of our legislation on certain single-use plastics, currently some of the most advanced legislation in the country. These initiatives will improve our public health, protect our environment, and save Hamden tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars.

Other initiatives have increased transparency, accountability, and accessibility in local government and protected our neighborhoods from greedy developers. Anyone who has called, texted, or emailed me at any point knows that I am always responsive and in tune to the needs of the community. This is responsiveness and advocacy that West Woods did not have before I was elected in 2017.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

"Shut up and listen." I had the opportunity some years ago to sit down with a former Governor of Virginia. When I asked him what advice he had for a group of young individuals who were aspiring leaders, these were his exact words without hesitation. Everyone including the former Governor shared a laugh about it, but he went on to explain that it is important to listen to understand. If you are thinking about the next thing you are going to say while someone else is speaking, you are not listening and you are not understanding. You get much more from a conversation if you listen and ask to understand than if you speak to what's already in your own mind.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

It has been an honor to serve the West Woods neighborhood of Hamden for the last 2 years. We still have a long way to go, but I have been able to build community and be the responsive advocate that we were missing prior to 2017. As a Councilmember At Large, I plan to continue that work and do more to make sure our concerns are being addressed townwide.

Campaign website:

BradforHamden.com