Dan DeBarba.
A race for a newly open state legislative seat formally got underway, as Republicans endorsed Dan DeBarba and Democrats endorsed Mary Welander to succeed retiring State Rep. Themis Klarides.
The candidates won the endorsements at virtual conventions that took place online Tuesday and Monday evenings, etc.
Republican Klarides, who is eying a run for governor in 2022, has represented the 114th House of Representatives District for 22 years, the last six as the chamber’s minority leader.The district includes Derby, Orange and Woodbridge.
Klarides nominated DeBarba as her successor at Tuesday night’s Republican convention, which took place by voice audio, not any faces, on an online application, RingCentral.
“I think in this day and age, the thing that elected officials and politicians do not have with the public is trust,” said Klarides. “I think that Dan is somebody that we know that we can trust. He’s a good person and he’s done amazing things in his business career.”
Mayor of Derby Richard Dziekan seconded DeBarba’s nomination.
“He has served our country and loves our veterans,” said Dziekan. “He is a voice of reason and expertise in healthcare and the economy. He is a small business owner and a job creator. This is important with reopening Connecticut.”
DeBarba is a longterm Orange resident who grew up in Wolcott and attended UConn. He serves as a chief financial officer of a hospital and healthcare system in New York. He has also served as a medic in the Connecticut Army National Guard.
He ran unopposed for the Tuesday night’s endorsement.
DeBarba said he wanted it to be clear that Klarides can’t be replaced.
“I’m truly blessed to walk in Themis’ footsteps,” said DeBarba. “I am asking for residents of Derby, Orange, and Woodbridge to vote for me because I believe that I know how to solve problems, how to make change, and how to turn organizations around.”
The evening before, on a Zoom call, Welander smiled into the camera while Claire Coleman, vice chair of the Woodbridge Democratic Town Committee, permanent chair for the evening, directed the nomination.“I ask now for unanimous motion to support and adopt rules as suggested by the state circulated on a call to convention,” said Coleman. “With no objections, the rules are adopted.”
Marc Garofalo from Derby nominated Welander.
“It is with great personal, political, and professional pleasure to place into nomination of someone who does not represent the current political class in Hartford, because she’s more accustomed to walking the walk than talking the talk,” said Garofalo. “As a mother …. she puts service before herself for the wellness of the community.”
“Mary is an exceptional individual who cares deeply about her community and their access to education, health care, benefits for workers, and building our future together,” Woodbridge Board of Selectman member Sandy Stein said in a seconding speech. “Mary represents everything that we, us citizens, want for our fellow Connecticut residents. Mary understands the issues that the communities of Orange, Woodbridge, and Derby are facing and her real-life problem solving approach focuses on people, not politics, which makes Mary the ideal person to represent all of us in Hartford.”
Mary Welander.
Welander started off her speech by referring to a text message she received from a good friend who teaches in a Westport school and who experienced a credible threat of a mass shooting.
She was teaching in one of the safest school districts in the state but she didn’t feel safe, noted Welander. So she wants to be a part of shaping laws.
“My motivation for running, and for most things in my life, is to help people,” she said. “I realized if I truly wanted to help people I had to be part of the bigger conversation to shape these laws.”
“As the saying goes, ‘If you don’t have a seat at the table, you’re probably on the menu.’”Welander serves on Orange Board of Education member and a statewide representative for the Sandy Hook Promise organization. Welander’s prior work as a theatrical electrician inspired her to fight for work benefits and safe working conditions, she said.
