David Cassetti accepts his nomination for the State House race in November.
ANSONIA – Valley Republicans nominated Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti to challenge state Rep. Kara Rochelle (D‑Ansonia) for her seat in the state House of Representatives.
“I am proud to accept your nomination to be the new champion of the Valley in Hartford, to be the voice of a unified Valley that will never throw in the towel,” Cassetti said May 16 to a crowd of about 30 people during a nominating convention at the Ansonia Armory on State Street.
Cassetti, who has previously said that he intends to serve as state Rep. and mayor simultaneously, said the Valley is neglected in state politics. He drew on his experiences both as mayor and as a former boxer, saying that he will bring a fighting spirit to Hartford.
“Knocking your opponent out cold: yep, I’ve done it several times,” Cassetti said. “But it’s nothing to getting a new police station built, lowering taxes by 13 mills, or seeing factories, empty for decades, spring back to life. Those are real knockouts.”
The state House of Representatives’ 104th District includes Ansonia and part of Derby.
Anthony Levinsky, an Ansonia Alderman for the Seventh Ward, introduced Cassetti with a brief speech, lauding his accomplishments as mayor.
“After more than a decade in office, he is a proven fighter committed to ensuring that everyone wins,” Levinsky said.
Ansonia Alderman Anthony Levinsky speaks in support of nominee Cassetti.
Rochelle was nominated to run for re-election by Valley Democrats on May 15. The two will face off in November.
Click here for a story about Rochelle’s nomination.
Rochelle, asked for her reaction to Cassetti’s nomination, said she has the experience and temperament to serve in the state Capitol.
“Belligerence would deliver very little for the people of Ansonia and Derby who, frankly, are sick of the egos and nonsense and just want public servants who know their stuff and get to work for the greater good of ALL,” Rochelle wrote in a prepared statement. “This job I do is full time and requires full attention. Being distracted with partisan obstructionism and bickering, yields very little for real, hardworking people.”
Although neither candidate mentioned their opponent by name at their conventions, each made statements directed at the other. Rochelle argued that Ansonia’s finances were being mismanaged; Cassetti argued that the Valley’s state representation lacks vigor.
“Up in Hartford, up there in the Capitol – sorry, we just ain’t seeing the fighting spirit that we have here in the Valley,” Cassetti said, before arguing that education and crime policies have passed state burdens onto cities and towns.
Cassetti has been Mayor of Ansonia since he defeated seven-term Democratic Mayor James Della Volpe in 2013. He’s seemed untouchable in city elections since then, most recently defeating Democratic challenger Thomas Egan with 72 percent of the vote last November.
Rochelle, meanwhile, has beaten back three Republican challengers of her own, most recently Josh Shuart, the current President of Ansonia’s Board of Aldermen, in 2022.
Cassetti filed to run in the House election in March, naming Ansonia Alderman Anthony Mammone as his campaign treasurer.
Election Day is Nov. 5.
