Caroline Simmons Becomes First Woman Elected As Mayor Of Stamford

STAMFORD, CT — State Rep. Caroline Simmons made history early Wednesday morning, as she became the first woman to be elected as mayor of Stamford.

Simmons, 35, a Democrat, claimed victory shortly after midnight over unaffiliated candidate Bobby Valentine, 71, a Stamford native and former Major League Baseball manager.

The race remained undecided for several hours after the polls closed at 8 p.m. Simmons' campaign said she had won the in-person vote by just 125, and absentee ballots helped to keep her in front.

According to unofficial results from the CT Secretary of State, Simmons received 15,565 votes (52.5 percent), and Valentine tallied 14,060 votes (47.46 percent).

Following a brief concession speech from Valentine around midnight, Simmons addressed her supporters at Third Place by Half Full Brewery on Pacific Street.

"Today, thousands of voters participated in the Democratic process and exercised their sacred right to vote, to make their voices heard, in this historic election," Simmons said. "To every Stamford resident who came to the polls, thank you for voting today and for advocating for a brighter future for our wonderful city."

She also acknowledged the historic victory, calling it a "special day for women."

"I want to say to all the young women out there, your future is bright and you can be anything you want to be. This victory is for you," Simmons said.

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Simmons said she "could not be more optimistic" about the future of Stamford. She mentioned fixing the city's infrastructure and school buildings, and making streets and sidewalks more connected and walkable as priorities in her first term.

She also said she wants to make Stamford a more inclusive, equitable and affordable place "where everyone can thrive."

"Together we can make Stamford one of the best cities in the country to live in, to work in, to raise a family in, to pursue your dreams in," she added.

Simmons has been State Representative in Stamford's 144th District for the last seven years. Prior to that, she worked in the Department of Homeland Security. In recent weeks, she picked up endorsements from Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy, Congressman Jim Himes, and President Barack Obama.

Simmons was endorsed over now outgoing mayor David Martin by the Democrats last summer, and later beat Martin in the primary in September.

During her victory speech, Simmons thanked Martin for his years of service to the city.

She also thanked Valentine.

"I want to thank my opponent, Bobby Valentine, for all that he has done for Stamford, the city he has loved and lived in his whole life," Simmons said.

"I look forward to working with Bobby, and to everyone who supported him, thank you for being so engaged in this important election. I want you to know that I'm going to be a mayor for everyone, and I look forward to working together to move our city forward."

Valentine watched the returns come in at The Village in Stamford's South End. He spoke to supporters around 11:15 p.m. as absentee ballots were still being counted. About 6,000 in total were received in Stamford.

In his remarks, Valentine alluded to possible absentee ballot irregularities and discrepencies, and said he couldn't believe that Stamford "was dealing with those problems."

He thanked his supporters and campaign staff for building a grassroots movement that began in May when he announced his plans to run for mayor.

"We built an organization from absolutely scratch. We didn't have data, we didn't have a roadmap. We didn't have anything except for our hearts and our minds," Valentine said.

About 45 minutes later, Valentine came back and officially conceded the race to Simmons.

"It's time for me to congratulate Caroline Simmons on being the next mayor of our city," he said, mentioning "lousy coverage" from the media in recent months leading up to election day.

"The campaign is over; there's a new mayor of Stamford. Hopefully the people that ran that campaign are not going to be the people that run our city," Valentine added.

The race between Simmons and Valentine grew contentious at times, with both sides going back and forth over a variety of topics.

They traded barbs over the discovery of mold in Stamford school buildings, Valentine's comments about homeowners versus renters, his tenure as Stamford's Public Safety Director in 2011, and Simmons' property and vehicle taxes.

Recently, the campaigns sparred over Valentine's remarks that Simmons is a "35-year-old girl" who couldn't relate to Stamford like he could. Simmons' campaign called his words "misogynistic."

On Tuesday night, Valentine said his campaign brought attention to politics in Stamford, and that many people learned about how the city operates.

"I'll always love the people of this city, and always think Stamford is special," he said in closing.

For Simmons, she's now preparing for the next four years as Stamford's chief elected official.

"Together, there is no limit to what we can accomplish over the next four years," Simmons said. "Tonight's victory is a tribute to each and every one of you, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for the honor of getting to be your mayor."

For more on the other races in Stamford, click here.