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"STAMFORD - Democrat Caroline Simmons has thrown her hat into the ring for Stamford's mayoral election, but she won't be alone, as Mayor David Martin has also filed paperwork to seek reelection. The 35-year-old Simmons has represented Stamford for the past six years as a state representative. She said her campaign to become mayor is about bringing new leadership to the city. \"Right now, our city is at a critical turning point,\" she said, adding that Stamford is dealing with the \"worst economic and health crisis in a century.\" To get out of it, she said the city needs a \"leader with a bold vision and new ideas.\" If elected, she would become the first female mayor of Stamford. But she will face stiff competition from the 67-year-old Martin, a Democrat who has been mayor for seven years. He won re-election in 2017 with 58.6 percent of the vote. The mayor's office said Martin filed his paperwork in January; Simmons submitted hers Wednesday. Simmons praised Martin's work as mayor, but said she wants to bring forward \"creative and innovative new ideas to take city to the next level.\" READ MORE: Stamford mayors have all been white men No one else has filed paperwork for the mayor's race, but two others have expressed interest in running. Democratic Board of Finance Vice Chair Mary Lou Rinaldi, 67, said on Wednesday that she is setting up an exploratory committee. \"I am still very much in the running, so to speak,\" she said. Christopher Malloy, 43, nephew of former Stamford mayor and Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy, also said he still plans to join the race. \"I continue to be very impressed with the level of support and encouragement I have been getting,\" said Malloy, the owner of a construction business, Stamford Building Company. Fritz Blau, the chairman of the Stamford Republican Town Committee, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Republicans have not yet announced a mayoral candidate publicly. Simmons said her top three priorities would be helping the city recover from the economic consequences of COVID-19, improving educational opportunities for students, and making Stamford more inclusive, equitable and affordable \"so that everyone has an opportunity to live here.\" Simmons, who currently serves at the state representative of the 144th district and is the co-chairperson of the Connecticut General Assembly Commerce Committee, said Stamford needs to implement work force initiatives and work training programs to support small businesses. She would aim to create a service corps for the unemployed to help the city recover from the pandemic. Last year, Martin helped launch Stamford Together, a citywide volunteer program to bolster the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But that program, while aimed at addressing the effects of the virus, is not targeted toward unemployed residents and is unpaid. Stamford's unemployment rate is 6.8 percent, just under the state average of 7.5 percent. In comparison, the annual average unemployment rate for 2019 in Stamford was 3.3 percent. Simmons said the corps she has proposed would provide paid employment by matching unemployed residents with public works projects and could be paid for with state and federal grants. \"I will do everything I can to help make sure we get people back to work,\" she said. Simmons entered state politics after working for the Department of Homeland Security during the Barack Obama presidency. Simmons also served on Obama's transition team. She currently works at Yale University at a program called Elevate, a policy-driven lab focused on mental health and poverty. Previously, she worked at the Women's Business Development Council in Stamford, where she currently serves on the board. The Greenwich native lives near Rippowam Middle School with her husband, former state Sen. Art Linares, and their two children: 2-year-old Teddy, and 5-month-old Jack. One of her other priorities, if elected, would be to improve responsiveness to constituents. One of the constant criticisms she hears from residents is that they don't receive timely responses from the city after they file complaints, such as potholes in streets. Simmons said she'd strive for same-day responses, and would seek to expand the city's Citizen's Service Bureau. On education, Simmons said she would also work to add summer and after-school programs to help Stamford students transition back to post-pandemic full-day school, as well as \"reduce unjust racial inequities\" in the school system. She is also one of a handful of state legislators who serve on Stamford schools' Long Term Facilities Committee, which is examining how to rebuild a number of deficient schools. Part of the solution is getting more financial help from the state. She said her experience in Hartford could be help get more support. \"We could be doing so much better in securing state and federal funding for our schools in Stamford,\" she said. Editor's note: A previous version of this article mentioned Mayor David Martin as the creator of the volunteer program Stamford Together. While Martin supported and helped launch the program, the main organizer of the effort was Board of Representatives President Matt Quinones. Staff writer Brianna Gurciullo contributed to this report. ignacio.laguarda@stamfordadvocate.com"
<https://www.ctinsider.com/elections/stamfordadvocate/article/State-Rep-Caroline-Simmons-to-challenge-15940567.php?cmpid=gsa-stamfordadvocate-result&amp;_ga=2.261060365.1694474602.1618346528-1843111549.1611591484>