If you’re looking for the latest on mayoral candidate Gary Holder-Winfield at 5 a.m., check Foursquare — or download a new app to your smartphone.
Holder-Winfield has designed an app, GHW2013, for people to tap into his campaign for the Democratic nomination for mayor. It connects people to the campaign’s Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube accounts as well as contact info. It works on Androids and iPhones and can be found at the Google store, he said.
Click on the play arrow to watch Holder-Winfield demonstrate the app during a recent campaign stop at Westville’s DaSilva Gallery.
“I’m a person that’s about giving people information,” Holder-Winfield said. “I can’t be in front of everybody,” so the app helps get people answers fast.
Holder-Winfield, a third-term state representative from Newhallville, takes social media seriously. He has been named, for instance, the state Capitol’s most active user of Facebook and Twitter to keep constituents abreast of legislative developments. He’s active on YouTube and FourSquare.
Why Foursquare?
The other day he posted that he was at the gym at 5 a.m., he said. “I want people to know where I am if they want to come ask me a question.”
Another Democratic mayoral candidate, Justin Elicker, has also displayed some new-media finesse as well. Check out this video he posted both explaining a complicated issue — charter revision and the calls for an elected school board — as well as his position on it (pro-hybrid, part-elected, part-appointed board).
“Of course we will be using social media and other technology to reach out to residents. However, the bottom line is we can’t tweet our way to victory, particularly since not everyone in New Haven has access to a computer or smart phone. Winning this election will be about face to face contact with New Haven residents that no smart phone app will give,” Elicker said.
Ian Applegate animated the NHI outro tag at the end of the top video.
Great! It is good to see that a potential office holder is not afraid of technology.
If only Gary had some interesting and creative ideas about how to solve some of the city's problems rather than spending his time developing a toy.
This is disappointing. I was hoping Gary could offer some solid, hard-hitting solutions to the array of problems the DeStefano regime has shackled the city with over the past 20 years.
It is going to take brave, insightful and bold leadership to pull New Haven out of this financial tailspin we find ourselves in. Only someone with a firm grasp of the problems can make it happen.
Gary's solution - make a smart phone app.
A piece of advice Gary - figure out something cogent and insightful to say before spending your time and money building a loudspeaker.