Stamford Special Election: Danny Melchionne For State Rep.

STAMFORD, CT — There is a special election scheduled for Jan. 25 in Stamford's 144th District for an open State Representative seat.

The seat was left vacant following Caroline Simmons' victory in the Stamford mayoral race last November. Simmons, a Democrat, served as a State Representative in the 144th district for seven years.

Patch reached out to the two candidates running for the position — Republican Danny Melchionne and Democrat Hubert Delany — to get more information on their campaigns and the issues that are facing the city.

Danny Melchionne is running for State Representative of the 144th District as a Republican in Stamford.

Occupation: ACSM Certified Private Personal Trainer - 10 years; Intensive Care Unit Registered Respiratory Therapist - seven years.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office: None

The single most pressing issue facing our town/district is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it:

The single most pressing issue facing Stamford is our high and increasing cost of living. I am deeply committed to providing economic relief for our neighbors and families in Stamford by cutting back the red tape regulations that disincentivize small and medium sized business owners from investing in Stamford.

Additionally, we absolutely must reduce the overwhelming, ever-increasing property tax burden on our property and homeowners. Young and middle aged adults are driven out of Stamford, seeking lower cost housing options outside of Stamford. This consequence leads to the creation and exacerbation of our traffic and road quality problems. Living in Stamford becomes impossible for many, driving it to be a commuter city.

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

I am born and raised in Stamford and have lived here for the vast majority of my life. I have experienced first hand the evolution of the "city that works." I had briefly moved out of the town for a few years after receiving my second degree but continued working in Stamford.

Stamford is where my home, family and heart is and I returned to my hometown after the birth of my son. I am dedicated to finding a way to improve the place I call home and giving back to the city that contributed to the man I am today.

Being a frontline healthcare worker (Registered Respiratory Therapist) in the ICU working throughout this pandemic has uniquely qualified me to inform balanced healthcare policies that aim to protect our most vulnerable while ensuring the rest of our lives are not disrupted.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

My platform is focused on evidence-based practices involving COVID regulations. We need to ensure public safety while not making such drastic changes that impede our ability to sustain our economic growth, negatively impact our children’s educations, or trample individual’s freedoms.

Another issue that Stamford’s residents have expressed concerns over is our need for police reform. Today we throttle our men and women in uniform forcing them to take a reactionary approach to law enforcement. Instead, we need to encourage and support a more proactive approach to deterring and preventing crime leading to safer communities and decreased crime instances.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In times of great stress and turmoil, it’s normal to react emotionally. As a front line healthcare worker, working in emergency & high stress situations, I have trained myself to rely on logic, data and evidence to remain calm and calculated to clear the path and resolve the situation. It has also required me to collaborate and partner with a variety of people to do the most impactful thing in life - save people’s lives.

As the son of a small business owner, and a small business owner myself, I have seen and experienced first hand the complexities and burdens placed on small business owners trying to make a living for their families.

I have worked with Stamford residents from all fields including education, law enforcement, small business owners, etc. and have heard their concerns and ideas.

These experiences, along with my lifelong knowledge of my hometown and my commitment to raising my family in it, makes me not only qualified to handle this job but to excel in it. I am dedicated to being the voice for Stamford’s 144th in Hartford.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am not a politician by trade. I’m a regular, homegrown, American son of immigrants who loves his hometown. I want to be part of the solution, and the solution we need is to bring back balance to our legislature and dedication to our residents - past, present, and future.

I encourage diverse perspectives, open dialogue and debate, and am willing to meet with anybody to hear their thoughts and bring that to Hartford. I work for the residents of this great city and district.

This article originally appeared on the Stamford Patch