Middletown Election 2021: Ian McMahon Running For Board Of Ed

MIDDLETOWN, CT — The 2021 municipal election is heating up in Middletown with plenty of races on the ballot.

Voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 2 and cast their ballots for seats on the Board of Education and Planning and Zoning Commission.

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

Democrat Ian McMahon, 27, is running for election to the Middletown Board of Education.

Occupation: Cloud Engineer

Family in government: No

The single biggest issue in town is ______, and I plan to do this about it:

Increased STEM focus in schools. As a professional in the STEM field I plan on using my current experience and knowledge to help prepare students to be ready for what I believe will be the dominant workforce in the future.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

We all seem to share the same core Democratic values. I do not wish to compare myself against my fellow candidates, although I will point out what I believe.

I strongly believe we need to have an increase focus in STEM programs in our schools, I think we need to teach our students about the importance of climate conservation, I want to build the foundations to help our students become financially independent, we need to be aware of the current attack on facts going on in social media so that we can get ahead of it, and separate fact from fiction. We need to teach our students the justice system does not treat everyone equally, so that we, and future generations, can focus on changing it. And lastly, mental health seems to be at an all time low as of recent, I would like to teach our students the importance of mental health, and sympathy.

Accomplishments:

I grew up neuro-diverse with an intense learning disability. I have no shame in admitting it, and I also have no shame with admitting that I struggled in school because of it.

I now consider myself successful with a good job, but it took a lot of work. I know what it’s like to struggle academically and eventually succeed in my own terms.

I want to be that support system for students that are currently going through a similar situation.

Other issues:

Climate awareness, sophistry awareness, mental health awareness, financial independence, job preparedness, systemic racism awareness, and community involvement

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I strongly believe in the transparency of public office. If I’m elected I will always be open for discussion from anyone involved in the district, and plan on implementing an “office hours” framework where I will be available to take appointments for open discussion. I will put values first, and politics last. I will support every student/parent/faculty/staff in this district.