New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker (left) in 2024 at a ribbon cutting. Credit to New Haven Independent

Connecticut local leaders have announced their re-elections and retirements for the upcoming 2025 cycle since the 2024 elections.

Candidates have also announced challenges and entries into races for open seats. These will continue at a quick pace in the next couple of months. We will update readers as often as possible as we expect new candidates and challenges in many Connecticut towns and cities.

New Haven

In December, Democratic incumbent Justin Elicker announced his re-election campaign for a 4th term leading Connecticut’s third-largest city. Elicker comfortably won his last re-election in 2023 by an 80-18 margin.

New Britain

As mentioned in our previous article, Republican incumbent Erin Stewart announced her retirement last September. She is preparing for a likely run for Governor.

On Friday, Republican Sharon Beloin-Saavedra announced her entry into the race for mayor. Beloin-Saavedra serves as the deputy minority leader and was a former school board chairwoman. Notably, she was a former Democrat but party-flipped after losing a brutal three-way primary in 2011 for a state house seat. In her announcement, she slammed city Democrats due to their “small-tent mentality”.

This is an interesting strategy in a city where Republicans are outnumbered. Despite Stewart’s wins for mayor, the area is Democratic at the federal level voting comfortably for Kamala Harris by a large margin (61-37). The last Democratic mayor in the city was Tim O’Brien, who served for one term before losing to Stewart in 2013. Stewart also posed a strong advantage in 2013, as her father Tim Stewart served as mayor from 2003 to 2011. Beloin-Saavedra will need strong cross-voting in this diverse Connecticut city to win a mayoral race as a Republican with a similar coalition to Stewart.

Hamden

Lauren Garrett campaigned on election day in 2021. Credit to HQNN

Last month, Lauren Garrett filed papers to run for re-election for her third term. Democratic primary voters in Hamden will feel some deja vu in an expected Democratic primary. Former Board of Ed. member Walter L. Morton IV announced he would run in the primary. Morton ran in 2023 against Garrett losing 44-56. In a phone interview with the New Haven Register, he noted Hamden’s “lack of economic development and true grand list growth ” under the current mayor. Garrett has been applauded for her leadership in managing the town’s finances after years of neglect including a tax cut in the 2024-25 year in the mill rate.

Bristol

In Late January, Republican incumbent Jeff Caggiano announced he would run for a 3rd term for mayor. Surprisingly, Caggiano told the local press that if he won, it would be his final term as mayor. He is focused on completing the Centre Square Village project in a 3rd term for mayor. Under his tenure, the Wheeler Family Health & Wellness Center was built and completed. Caggiano comfortably won 61-39 in 2023, despite the town’s near 50-50 split on the federal level.

Milford

On Friday, Democrat and former Mayor Rich Smith announced his challenge to Republican incumbent mayor Tony Giannattasio. Smith announced his challenge at the Milford Tax Office, citing the yearly tax increases under Giannattasio’s tenure. Smith promised lower taxes during his speech. Giannattasio responded saying that Smith was promoting misinformation and fear along with his consultants. He noted the tax increase was only 1% last year, and will only be 4% next year. Giannattasio had a narrow three-point win last year (51.5-48.5) and is the first Republican mayor of the city in over a decade. The race in November is expected to be competitive.

Wallingford

In mid-January, Republican incumbent Vincent Cervoni announced his re-election bid for a second term. In another race that is expected to be competitive. Cervoni won his first term in 2023, becoming the first new mayor in 40 years after longtime incumbent William Dickinson retired. In another town, that is also closely divided at the federal level (Harris 50-48), Cervoni expects another competitive election after his 7-point win in 2023.

Danbury

On February 7th, Roberto Alves formally launched his bid for a second term leading Connecticut’s 7th largest city. In another competitive town, Alves won a narrow 51-49 win in an upset over Republican incumbent Dean Esposito. Interstingly, last month Esposito announced on social media that he would not have a rematch with Alves. The two also battled it out in 2021, with Esposito emerging victorious, meaning a different Republican candidate will be on the ticket in November. Alves, the now Connecticut Democratic Party Chair, has to defend a seat that the GOP held for 22 years before his upset win. This race like many of the others mentioned today, will be competitive in November.