Cabrera Endorses Leng, Then Hits The Doors

Before taking off his red tie to go knock on doors in southern Hamden, union leader and former State Senate candidate Jorge Cabrera Tuesday made what Mayor Curt Leng called a ​“surprise” announcement: he endorsed Leng in the Democratic Sept. 10 mayoral primary against Councilwoman Lauren Garrett.

Cabrera made his announcement outside the Keefe Community Center in southern Hamden before a crowd of about 20 people. Behind him, current Council President Michael McGarry held a Leng banner with Chris Marino of Blue Edge Strategies, the firm Leng hired to run his campaign.

Cabrera said he had not planned on making an endorsement in this race. It took him until last week to decide whom he will support; he said; he has been following both candidates closely, and that his decision came down to ​“the totality of [Leng’s] leadership in Hamden.”

Cabrera is a business representative for the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 919. A Democrat, he ran in 2018 against incumbent Republican George Logan for Connecticut’s 17th Senate District seat, losing by only 77 votes.

In his endorsement speech Tuesday, Cabrera praised Leng’s response to the tornado that devastated parts of northern Hamden last May.

“Mayor Leng sprung into action using over 20 years of public service and relationships he’s built with state and federal officials to move quickly to get the residents of Hamden the help they needed,” he said. He added that Leng managed to craft a budget without a sharp tax increase even as revenues have dried up, ​“giving us all a path forward to fiscal responsibility and a balanced budget.”

Challenger Garrett has criticized Leng for the budget he crafted this year, saying that he avoided a heavy tax increase by counting on unrealistic revenue projections. 

Cabrera said that ​“given all the factors and all the things he’s had to deal with,” he thinks Leng has done a good job over his many years in Hamden’s government. Those years, he added, also count for something.

“We don’t need to switch leaders at this point,” he said. ​“We’re on a course, and I think we should keep the mayor so he can continue on the course he’s on.”

Leng’s supporters have often cited his experience. Leng has already served two terms as mayor (if he wins, he would enter his third) and he previously served for eight years on the Legislative Council. He also held numerous top city government posts. Garrett has served only one council term.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am to receive the support of a gentleman like this,” Leng said. ​“Jorge Cabrera is a family man. He’s a man that cares about southern Hamden. He’s a man that cares about the town of Hamden’s finances and our taxes.”

On To The Doors

After the endorsement, Cabrera’s red tie came off — a relief under the hot afternoon sun. He and Leng made their way out of the parking lot to knock the doors of Democrats in the area.

“Give me something you think the town does really well. Give me something we need to work on,” Leng said to Jim Miller as Miller stood on his front step down the street from the Keefe Center.

Miller replied that he thinks the town has a good police department. His street, though, needs to be paved. In winter, he added, it is sometimes poorly plowed. He said that overall, he doesn’t have a lot of complaints. People tell him he should move to North Haven because of the lower taxes there, he said, but he likes Hamden.

Leng said he goes out canvassing every day. How does he manage to fit it in?

“It’s impossible,” he said, chuckling. He goes during his lunch breaks, on weekends, and every evening. He has also used a few of his personal days.

When the mayor goes out canvassing, Cabrera pointed out, he ends up both campaigning and doing his job.

As Cabrera and Leng approached a house on North Street, John (who declined to provide his full name) was sitting on the porch. After Leng introduced himself as the mayor, John quickly told him about a problem he has. There’s a stump on the curb in front of his house, and people trip over it. It’s been there for years, he said, and the town has not dealt with it.

Leng took out his phone and took a picture of of the stump with the See Click Fix app, which noted the location and information about the problem so that it can be fixed.

A few doors down, Florene Williams also had a complaint. The street corner where her house sits, she said, is extremely dangerous. People drive too fast and put her and her neighbors and their property in danger.

The fix for that problem, Leng said, would not be as quick as it would for John’s stump down the street. He said that the town probably will not be able to deal with the intersection this year, but that come spring, he wants to assess which streets need improvements.

Williams said she would probably vote for Leng, though she said that decision was not final. By her reasoning, she said, if the town elects someone new, he or she would have to ​“start from scratch. So now where you at? Back to square one. That’s how I look at it.”