The 2021 Stamford mayoral race is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent history, thanks in no small part to a celebrity candidate with high-name recognition, Bobby Valentine.
The former Major League Baseball player and manager is facing off against 35-year-old Harvard graduate and four-term state representative, Caroline Simmons.
While the 71-year-old Valentine might have the name recognition, Simmons firmly has the Democratic machine behind her. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont campaigned for Simmons in September, and just last week Barack Obama ”“ for whom she served in the Department of Homeland Security — endorsed her candidacy for mayor. Simmons was also endorsed by the Independent Party. Democrats have controlled the mayor”™s office for all but 4 of the past 26 years.
Valentine is running unaffiliated and will appear on the ballot as a “petitioning candidate”; he has never held an elective office before.
As of the 2020 census, Stamford has surpassed New Haven to become the second-largest city in the state behind Hartford — and as a result its mayoral election has garnered attention far beyond the city limits. Both candidates have received donations from bold-faced names in entertainment, sports and business.
I sat with Caroline and Bobby to learn more about the individuals behind the personas and what policy agendas matter most to them.
