West Haven Election 2023: Sarah J. Ackbarali Running For City Council

WEST HAVEN, CT — The 2023 municipal election is heating up in West Haven with plenty of races on the ballot.

Voters will head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 7 and cast their ballots for the position of mayor, along with seats on the City Council, Board of Education and more.

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

Sarah J. Ackbarali, 38, is running for re-election to the West Haven City Council as a Democrat.

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

3rd District

Education.

Post University: Associate of Science: Legal Studies, Bachelor of Science: Equine Business Management with a Certificate in Equine Law, & The University of New Haven: Master of Business Administration: Business Policy & Strategic Leadership

What is your occupation?

Currently: West Haven City Councilwoman

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

Sarah’s husband: Ian Ackbarali, a West Haven Police Officer. Her three beautiful children: 7 year old son Christian, 3 year old daughter Moirá, 2 year old son Liam and their menagerie of animals.

Sarah’s parents Robert & Linda Leigh are both are retired educators of the West Haven School System. Robert was a Speech Pathologist and Linda was an Art Education and Sixth Grade Teacher. Sarah’s twin brother Patrick Leigh also served the community of West Haven as a Board of Education Elected Official.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Sarah’s Uncle John F. O’Brien was an IRS agent for United States Treasury Department and her Cousin Judith Fadus was an ATF agent for the United States Treasury Department.

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

West Haven 3rd District City Councilwoman from 2021-Present and the West Haven Democratic Town Committee from 2020-Present.

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

I would like to continue to serve and be the voice for my constituents of the 3rd District. I also believe that West Haven has the potential to having a better foundation for economic development and in order for that to happen we need to start from the ground up.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is \_\_\_, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is the infrastructure of the roads from season to season, causing very large potholes. I intend on communicating with the proper City Departments in making sure that the roads are paved accordingly.

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

Having the experience of being the 3rd District City Councilwoman, I will continue to make sure to serve my community to the best of my ability and to make sure that the voices of my constituents are heard.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

Things don’t just happen on their own, you have to work hard to get where you want to be.

Are you running for office in West Haven? Email vincent.salzo@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile on West Haven Patch.