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STAMFORD, Conn. — City Rep. Eileen Heaphy made her desire to be the Democratic candidate in Stamford’s mayoral race public Friday night. If elected, she would be the first woman to hold the position.
“None of this ‘old boys network.’ You got to perform,” Heaphy said of how women look at situations differently than men do.
If elected, she hopes to use her international experience and contacts as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State in Europe, Latin America and Washington to draw more business headquarters to Stamford. She would also work to get local unions the construction jobs that would come with more those moves, she said.
Her experience in knowing how to manage and motivate government employees would help the city run more effectively, Heaphy said. “Running a government isn’t like running a business,” she said.
Heaphy has represented the city’s eighth district since 2005 and is also the deputy majority leader of the Board of Representatives. Her proudest accomplishments include founding the dog park, blocking efforts to open beaches and parks to handguns, and being a leading voice in combining fire services, she said.
Heaphy is the third Democrat to announce a run. She is joining state Rep. William Tong and former Director of Public Safety, Health, and Wellness William Callion in seeking the party’s nomination. Board of Education member Jerry Pia and former Lt. Gov. Michael Fedele are bidding for the Republican nomination.
The race was blown wide open after Mayor Michael Pavia announced he would not run for re-election earlier this year. Pavia has held the position since 2009 after Dannel Malloy, a Democrat, did not run for re-election to enter the race for governor.
The Glenbrook resident has two daughters, Jacqueline of Baltimore and Annie, as well as three grandchildren and is married to Joshua Maldonado. She was born and raised in Ansonia and has lived in Stamford for 13 years.
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