Paul Cianci, the Republican nominee for state representative says that residents are often surprised at his young age when he shows up at their doorstep to meet a prospective voter.
Overall, Cianci thinks these reactions are a good sign.
“For the most part people like seeing our younger generation getting out to make a positive difference,” said Cianci, who is 28 and is seeking his first run for public office. He believes that the community needs a fresh face to deal with “old broken promises” he says people are “sick and tired of.” He did not give specifics.
Cianci is running for state representative of the 102nd district against incumbent Democrat Lonnie Reed, a popular legislator. Reed, currently serving her third term, is House Chair of the Energy and Technology Committee, a member of the Finance Revenue and Bonding Committee and has been instrumental in bringing bio-tech businesses to town. The district covers Branford except for Stony Creek and Pine Orchard.
In the final weeks of the campaign, Cianci was warmly endorsed by Republican First Selectman Jamie Cosgrove. The pair appeared side-by-side in a photo on a mailer, dressed alike and thinking alike.
The mailer’s theme centered on bringing Costco to town, a campaign promise Cosgrove made a year ago before he was elected to lead the town. It is a promise Cianci has endorsed even though at this juncture Cosgrove’s effort to bring the big box store to Branford is stalled. Cianci and Cosgrove say a Costco means more jobs and a reduction in property taxes.
On many weekend afternoons, Cianci walks around Branford knocking on doors with his 21-year old campaign manager Andrew Krauss. They have been to thousands of homes in town. The two met in early April when Krauss expressed interest in getting involved with the campaign. On one evening, the Branford Eagle shadowed the young team in the Indian Neck neighborhood, located off the shore.
Cianci says the most common issues people bring up are stabilizing taxes and getting the budget balanced. “That’s what I would expect to hear,” Cianci said. He also mentioned children’s programs and senior services as high on the list.
Overall, “even if they are talking about federal problems, it is important to listen to them. Even if I have no direct impact on the large scale, I can start to build a network and get to know people and then I can indirectly have an impact at all levels.”
At the first door, Cianci had a captive audience. He launched into a summary of his qualifications and his hopes for his new home town.
Cianci works as a forensic engineer for WJE Associates, Inc., a national engineering company. He is based in Shelton. He grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut, but moved to Branford in 2009 after receiving his Master of Science degree in civil engineering from Villanova University.
Cianci thinks his work as an engineer gives him a unique perspective to view problems. He is used to solving problems; for example, why a structure fails. “There are direct implications,” Cianci told the Eagle. “It’s a way to problem solve and this is one perspective I hope to bring to the General Assembly. Hopefully it can be a new way of looking at our state’s issues.”
Rising Seas and the Cost of Living
At a second door, a resident expressed specific concerns about the impact of recent hurricanes on homeowners. This is a pressing issue for this section of Branford, given its proximity to the Sound. The woman explained that her family isn’t able to afford alterations to her property to meet FEMA regulations.
“A lot of us in this neighborhood can’t afford that,” she said. “The devastation is huge. When they remap the area, they really price a lot of people out of where they have sometimes lived for generations.”
After living in her house for 23 years, she says that “the environment is changing and we need to go up (build up) to stay here or sell our house at a loss.”
Cianci explained that, as an engineer, “there are ways we are working on to make it more affordable, but they haven’t become mainstream yet.” He promised he would continue to work on this issue.
Down the street, another woman shared a similar sentiment.
“People can’t afford to live here,” she said. “It shouldn’t be that I am lucky. It should be the norm.”
The woman explained that she never “votes party lines,” but instead spends the time to consider each candidate.
The Unaffiliated Voter
According to Cianci, this woman is representative of much of the Branford voting population. (The unaffiliated category represents the largest voting bloc in town.)
Krauss explained that unaffiliated voters are the target group on doorknocking missions because they are willing to talk and are still considering candidates.
“There are definitely people already anchored into their beliefs, but compared to other areas, there is a very big unaffiliated group that wants to get to know you and ask questions,” Cianci told the Eagle. “It’s a great thing for a town to have that sort of political dynamic.”
Cianci doesn’t advertise that he is a Republican. He purposely omitted his party affiliation on the business cards he hands out to residents. He explained that he prefers for voters to ask questions before they make judgments based along on party lines.
Cianci also says that he has a number of bi-partisan platforms and before running for office he was not affiliated with any party.
Cianci gave an example: “Getting the (state) budget balanced is not a democratic or republican issue…It’s a responsible issue.” (When Gov. Dannel P. Malloy was elected governor in 2010 he inherited a $3.67 billion deficit from his Republican predecessor.)
Funding issues are evident when it comes to public education, he added.
“People are concerned. They see other towns progressing at a quicker pace than Branford might be.” Cianci explained that as a future parent, he doesn’t want to see property tax bills double in order to improve education, but he also acknowledged that it is a “challenge to get good education and stabilize the tax market and not chase people out of town.” (Branford’s property taxes are the primary source of funding for all public education in town.)
At other houses, residents expressed support, sometimes citing odd reasons.
One man answered the door, assuring Cianci he had his vote, adding, “Dan Malloy had the nerve to friend me on Twitter.”
Between houses, a friend stopped his car to talk with Krauss. The two spoke briefly. “So, tell me, why should I vote for you?” the friend asked Cianci as he leaned out of the window.
“We are on pace to live a lesser quality of life than people above us,” Cianci started to say. The man stopped him there. “You have my vote,” he said as he drove away.
After the final house, Cianci and Krauss drove into downtown Branford to regroup at Common Grounds, a coffee shop that during the summer became “their temporary headquarters,” for their campaign, a campaign that ends a week from today — -Election Day.
Marcia Chambers contributed reporting for this story.
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