Hamden voters will cast ballots for a new mayor, new town clerk, district representative, at-large representative and education board members on Nov. 2.
Democrat Lauren Garrett and Republican Ron Gambardella are running against each other for the town’s highest executive office. While the incumbent Mayor Curt Leng, who lost to Garrett during the party’s primaries, will be in the race as a write-in candidate, he said he is “not an active candidate.”
Independent Al Lotto is running as a write-in candidate. He initially secured a spot on the ballot, but later dropped out, citing “venomous messages.”
Both Garrett and Gambardella centered their campaigns around the town’s finances, education, economic development and public safety but with different approaches. Both have run for this office unsuccessfully in the past.
Gambardella proposed a zero-based budgeting process, in which departments will start with no money and they must justify how all money is being used. He also plans to conduct an operational budget audit to find the problems.
Garrett has pledged to develop a five-year plan for economic growth that includes cannabis dispensaries, competitive contracts bidding.
Hamden rescinded its indoor mask mandate last Friday evening allowing people to gather in non-government-owned public space, which means voters still need to wear masks at the polls Tuesday.
The poll will open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. throughout the nine voting districts.
Connecticut allows Election Day registration, which means people who are eligible to vote can register in a designated location in town. The registration place is at Senior Center at 2901 Dixwell Ave.
All absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Who are the other candidates?
- Town Clerk: Democrat Karimah Mickens
- Representatives-at-Large: Democrats Katie Kiely, Dominique Baez, Cory O’Brien, and Laurie Sweet; Republicans Leslie DeNardis, James Anthony, Andrew Tammaro and Betty Wetmore; Independent Jay Kaye and Working Families Party Laurie Sweet
- Full-term Board of Education: Democrats David Asbery, Mariam Khan, Melissa Kaplan and Siobhan Carter-David; Republicans Austin Cesare, Kevin Shea and Ralph Nicefaro Jr. and Working Families Party Nijija-Ife Waters
- Two-year-term Board of Education: Democrat Reule Parks and Republican Jeffery Cohen
- District 1 Representative: Democrat Kristen Zaehringer and Republican Laura Santino
- District 2 Representative: Democrat Jeron Alston and Republican Nick D’Amato
- District 3 Representative: Democrat Abdul-Razek Osmanu
- District 4 Representative: Democrat Sarah Gallagher
- District 5 Representative: Democrat Justin Farmer
- District 6 Representative: Democrat Paula Irvin
- District 7 Representative: Democrat Adrian Webber and Republican Ceci Shea
- District 8 Representative: Democrat Ted Stevens and Republican Pat DeStito
- District 9 Representative: Democrat Nancy Hill and Republican Marjorie Bonadies