Fifth Ward Ansonia Alderman Joseph Jaumann said Wednesday he has filed paperwork to run for state representative in the 104th District this November.
Incumbent 104th District State Rep. Linda Gentile announced last month she would not seek re-election after representing the district, which covers Ansonia and part of west Derby, since 2004.
Jaumann challenged Gentile for the seat in 2016 but lost, 4,880 votes to 3,673.
He praised Gentile’s service in a prepared statement announcing his candidacy.
“I want to first thank State Representative Linda Gentile for her years of service to the residents of Ansonia and Derby,” Jaumann said. “Linda is very well-respected, open-minded, and accomplished a lot for our communities. Linda leaves big shoes to fill, but I believe my professional and business experience, as well as my work and experience on the Board of Alderman and the other boards and commissions in which I have served, provide me with the ability to hit the ground running on day one.”
“Working with Mayor Cassetti, we have been able to recharge Ansonia creating a community that residents and businesses can be proud of,” Jaumann’s statement said. “It is now time for us to take the great work we have done in Ansonia to Hartford and recharge our state’s economy.”
Jaumann replaced Anthony Cassetti representing Ansonia’s Fifth Ward on the Board of Aldermen last March. He was re-elected to the post in November.
Prior to serving as Alderman he had been the chairman of the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission.
Jaumann works as a lawyer at a firm based in Bridgeport.
In the days after Gentile’s retirement announcement, local GOPers tipped him as a natural candidate for the 104th District seat.
Click the play button below to listen to a podcast Jaumann recorded at the Valley Indy office during his 2016 campaign.
A standard-bearer for the Democratic party in this year’s race for the seat hasn’t yet emerged.
Out of a number of potential candidates contacted by the Valley Indy last month, Derby’s Kara Rochelle, the president of the Valley Young Democrats, was the only one to express possible interest.
The Valley Indy emailed Rochelle Wednesday.
Jaumann is the only candidate in the district to have filed paperwork for a run so far, according to a search of the State Election Enforcement Commission’s online database.
In his statement, he promised an “open and honest” campaign of door-knocking and events.
A campaign website, www.Jaumann2018.com and Facebook page will also be launched soon, Jaumann said.
