North Haven Army Veteran Considers State Run

Editor’s Note: In case you missed it from earlier this week...

Tired of seeing negativity from the Republican leadership about the state, a North Haven Army veteran is exploring candidacy for the General Assembly.

Steve Gifford, a small business owner, combat veteran and a member of the North Haven Economic Development Commission, announced Thursday that he is mulling a run against State Rep. Dave Yaccarino in the 87th House district or against State Sen. Len Fasano (R-34).

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“I’m extremely troubled by our current leadership, and if I don’t do something about it, I lose my right to complain about it,” Gifford said in a statement.

Gifford cited Republican negativity as being a major factor in his decision.

“For every piece of bad news, every ‘top ten’ ranking, Connecticut Republicans tell us just how awful things are,” Gifford said. “If you only listened to legislative Republicans, you would think that they hated this state. What you don’t hear, though, are productive solutions to the problems they highlight.”

However, Gifford also said that Democrats aren’t blameless.

“An ‘us or them’ mentality in Connecticut politics can make people forget that just because their own party proposes something doesn’t mean it’s good,” Gifford said. “It is not a partisan thing to say that if we have to re-do the state budget right after it’s finalized, there is something wrong with our budgeting system.”

Gifford is a veteran Army tank officer, served two tours of duty in Iraq, and was awarded a Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge. He is the owner of The Hartford Wire Works, a fence manufacturer with 10 employees.

Gifford is also the treasurer of the North Haven Democratic Town Committee and a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Steve and his wife Holly have two sons that attend Clintonville Elementary.

“I believe that voters need strong alternatives to both Len and Dave this year,” Gifford said. “And, I hope that other potential candidates will step forward as well.”