Stamford Democratic Primary: David Martin Seeks Nomination

STAMFORD, CT — This year's Democratic primary in Stamford features incumbent Mayor David Martin against current State Rep. Caroline Simmons.

Simmons narrowly received the endorsement from her party in July by a vote of 21 to Martin's 19. However, in the weeks following the vote, Martin collected the requisite number of signatures to appear on the primary ballot.

Patch asked the candidates to answer questions about their campaigns ahead of the primary which is slated for Tuesday, Sept. 14.

Martin, 68, is seeking the Democratic Party nomination for Mayor.

Occupation: Mayor of Stamford

Family: Two daughters: Sarah and Rachel, in their 30s, both graduates of Stamford Public Schools. My dad is a retired judge who lives in Cincinnati. We just celebrated his 95th birthday!

Experience: Stamford Board of Representatives (26 years); Stamford Board of Finance (8 years)

Family in government: No, other than my father who worked as a judge for many years and is now retired.

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

Certainly the most pressing issue facing Stamford right now is navigating our way through the COVID-19 pandemic, because the crisis is not over yet. We thought we had the virus on the run following all the vaccinations this spring, but the Delta variant has surged back all over the country this summer.

This is a very dangerous virus and as Mayor I take this very seriously. That is why I have reinstated the indoor mask mandate, even for those who are fully vaccinated. I will continue our strong partnership with our health care providers to make sure everyone who needs it can get a vaccine and a COVID test, and every front line worker has enough PPE to keep themselves and their families safe.

Other than managing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the most pressing issue facing Stamford is continuing the momentum for our current economic growth and job creation, while making sure the economy of the future does not leave vulnerable residents behind. Stamford is a place that welcomes all people from all backgrounds, no matter their means.

That translates into making sure there is enough affordable housing for working families or seniors who need it, making sure our schools are the very best they can be and have enough investment in their physical plant and infrastructure, and and equally important to that is making sure our roads are modernized for safer and more efficient traffic flow so people and goods can move more freely throughout our city.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

The most critical difference between me and the other candidates running for Mayor of Stamford is not only that I have done the job effectively and they have not, but that I am the only candidate in the race with 40 years of experience in public service for the City of Stamford, and many years of experience also in the private sector managing large, complex bureaucracies.

This experience is a critical factor when it comes to making the machinery of government work for the taxpayers, and we are getting it done in Stamford. We have taken city government to another level in operating efficiency and effectiveness. We have made Stamford safer, more pedestrian friendly, and improved the quality of life. And the results are in plain view. Our city has grown faster than any other in Connecticut over the last decade and Stamford is now the 2nd largest city in Connecticut.

People are voting with their feet and coming here because this is the place they want to be; to live, work, play, and and raise a family.

Accomplishments:

We have made significant strides in my eight years in office, including many things I envisioned when I was first elected Mayor, while some were brought about by crises my administration was forced to respond to.

Probably the most important accomplishment we have achieved is restoring Stamford’s fiscal health and position. When I first took office, the city’s credit rating was tanking due to many years of neglect, sending borrowing costs through the roof and causing higher taxes for residents and businesses, choking our economic growth. Through a lot of work, we have turned the corner on paying down our pension liabilities, made smart spending decisions, and built up our financial reserves – all while holding the line on taxes so as not to pass along the cost to property owners.

Now, we are actually budgeting for the real cost of our city pension plans and paying our entire yearly obligation. We are generating budget surpluses, our reserves are strong, and my administration restored Stamford’s AAA bond rating, the highest you can get for a municipality. We have done all this while doubling our investment in our public schools and tripling our investment in repairing our roads. This may not be the most glamorous achievement, but it is the foundation upon which everything else you want to accomplish is built. This is why we were able to balance our budget during the worst public health and economic crisis anyone can remember without raising anyone’s taxes.

Other issues:

We need to do many things at once. We need to continue to effectively manage this pandemic and make sure Stamford residents are safe and businesses of all sizes can thrive. At the same time, we need to keep rebuilding and renovating our schools so they are modernized and safe spaces for our kids to learn and for our teachers, administrators and support staff to work. There are more than $24 million in school improvements already committed that we need to see through to completion.

We also need to continue updating our roads and repaving our streets to allow for quicker travel and smoother rides. I plan an aggressive focus on infrastructure if I am honored with one more term in office.

We also need to continue to focus on public safety and making sure our police and fire departments are responsive to the needs of the community as it grows and becomes more diverse. We need to make sure first responders can effectively handle the many mental health and substance use disorder cases that end up as 911 calls so more lives can be saved and people suffering from these ailments can be treated effectively. And as the recent storms have shown, Stamford has a lot of work to do to make our entire city – especially low lying areas near Long Island Sound – are resilient and ready for more major weather and flooding events as sea levels rise.

This is intertwined with the absolute necessity to reduce our carbon footprint and do our part to slow the pace of climate change. But these changes are here now and already impacting Stamford, and and we need to be on our game – not only responding to today’s challenges but also planning for the future.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

I have been a public servant in the City of Stamford for nearly 40 years. With 26 years on the Board of Representatives including eight as board president, two years on the Board of Finance, and eight years as Mayor. I have more experience and knowledge about how our government works than all the other candidates combined. I am a workhorse Mayor who gets things done and my administration has been extremely effective in managing our city and preparing Stamford for the future.

My team has contributed greatly to why Stamford is such a shining star in Connecticut. There is more work to be done, and that is why I am asking for one more term to accomplish more for the residents and taxpayers of our city. This will be my last term in office, and like always I am only beholden to the residents and taxpayers of Stamford, not to any special interest. I would like to finish out my career with the same focus as I started when I was first elected to the board of reps in 1993.

Getting things done for the community that I love, and where my late wife and I raised my girls who graduated from our public schools. To give back to the city that gave our family so much.