It Was Worth It

Dennis Serfilippi ran for alder Tuesday as an independent in Ward 25 against incumbent Adam Marchand, who won the election. Serfilippi wrote the following article.

Driving home from Edgewood School on Election Night I realized there was unfinished business. I needed to find a way to express my gratitude and more importantly share my experiences of the day just passed.

A few years ago I would have never thought about running for political office. But in February I started following local political affairs, and people like Patricia Kane, Bill Saunders, Gary Doyens, Dr. Ed Joyner, and Chief Grant were generous enough to meet with me and lay out the political landscape.

Still, I wasn’t going to run for office, but a few alders reached out in July and asked me to consider running in Ward 25, and I’m glad they did. But it was mayoral candidates Wendy Hamilton, Urn Pendragon, Seth Poole, and Justin Elicker who inspired me to run by courageously putting their names and reputations on the line.

Running for office is hard work, as it should be, but the voters in Westville made it easier by openly sharing their concerns and graciously taking the time to listen and learn about my campaign. It helped that the New Haven Independent and New Haven Register devoted considerable resources covering the race.

And I was fortunate that about eight of my neighbors in Westville, and one passionate Democrat from Norwich, were willing to provide advice and support. Remarkably the group never met face to face, and still don’t know who one another are. Some are business people and others are city employees who expressed concerns about showing support publicly; it was the only blemish on an otherwise exceptional experience.

On Election Night I congratulated Adam Marchand on his victory and sincerely wished him well in his new term. But the real winners in the Ward 25 race were the residents of Westville; they witnessed a civil, professional political race complete with platforms and a debate where the voters themselves submitted the questions and anyone wishing to see the debate were able to watch live in person or online. The candidates focused on pertinent issues, not personal insults. It was a sharp contrast to the divisive rhetoric that’s become so common in Washington and so many other places.

Running for political office was such a positive experience I feel compelled to share some highlights, with the hope more people from across New Haven will consider running in the future.

In so many ways Election Day was representative of the last four months. The day kicked off early — 5:30 a.m. Peter brushed aside aches and pains from a recent, serious accident to join me in hanging banners – he had responded to a plea for support from a grown man as nervous as a kid on the first day at a new school.

Early in the morning Adam and I took a selfie shaking hands and smiling, and I spent most of the day laughing and joking with Adam and his volunteers. To the surprise of many, we took turns politely introducing one another to people arriving to vote.

Throughout the day I spoke with many people from the neighborhood, some of whom voiced support, and others who did not but nonetheless thanked me for running. I stood in awe as a 91-year-old man leaned on his son and slowly conquered the three stairs standing in the way of him using his walker to get to the voting booth. 

I had the pleasure of meeting dozens of new neighbors, including Adam’s handsome young son. My upstairs neighbor Amy chauffeured my 80-year-old mother to Edgewood School so I could remain campaigning at the polls. And then she waited patiently for about 20 minutes as Ward 25 Moderator Larson courteously guided my mother through the paperwork so she could get a ballot to vote for her son.

And I’ll never forget how Anthony and his 8 year-old grandson, whom he is raising, stood with me in the cold damp night as the young man chanted, ​‘Vote for Dennis.”

When the results were finally announced, Adam and I were once again photographed shaking hands and smiling.

Before leaving Edgewood School, I offered a ride home to my neighbor Jim. When I moved to Alden Avenue I gave Jim an American flag. He’s since become a reliable neighbor and friend. And though he didn’t vote for me, he had offered to hand out my campaign literature when he realized I was understaffed

On the short ride home, Jim told me I should be proud of having run a strong race. But it wasn’t pride I was feeling; it was outright happiness.

In fact, I was so happy when I called my daughter to share the results, she said, ​“Dad, I’m confused. Did you win or lose?” I said, ​“both.”

You see, running for alder was an overwhelmingly positive experience. In fact, it was one of the best experiences in my life, and I’m so glad I ran. There are no regrets. I met so many incredible people and made many new friends. And on Election Day, I had a front row seat to see what makes this country so unique and special. I want to thank everyone for participating in the American experiment and strongly encourage anyone considering a run for public office to do so – your neighbors, your city, and your country need you.