Democrat Veronica DeLandro has announced that she is planning a campaign to promote vaccinations and a “listening session” on education.
DeLandro is exploring a campaign for Mayor of New Britain. At a, “Dishing it with DeLandro,” campaign event she held on March 16th, she said her vision for the city is, “policy-driven and people-centered.”
“During the listening sessions I held with small businesses, CCSU students and faith-based leaders, ” DeLandro says, “the common denominator that many residents expressed was the need for their voices to be heard and for there to be better communication between the city and the residents.”
“I’m making it a point to reach out to residents through various events that are both social distanced and virtual to make sure I’m hearing directly from the residents on their cares, concerns, ideas and opportunities,” she added.
Now, DeLandro says that she has more events planned during the season of the March collegiate basketball tournaments.
In an upcoming, “Vaccine Hesitancy Campaign,” on March 20th and 21st DeLandro’s campaign says that she and volunteers, “will visit various neighborhoods throughout the city and talk to residents about the importance of getting the Covid-19 vaccine, while providing them with specific information on where they can schedule an appointment and noting who is eligible.”
DeLandro’s campaign says that she will also hold a listening session for New Britain parents on March 22nd, on education.
“Investing in the future of our students is a return on investment for our city,” DeLandro said on March 11th. “It should be a priority.”
“With so much talk about the state of the city’s educational system,” DeLandro’s campaign says that, “This session will be an opportunity for parents to share their concerns about recent discussions around the current state of affairs with the Consolidated School District of New Britain (CSDNB) along with their thoughts on the future of the school system in general.”
DeLandro announced in January that she is considering running for Mayor of New Britain and filed an exploratory committee.
DeLandro has served as District Director for Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (D-5) and now provides consulting, training and coaching to nonprofit organizations at VTD Consulting Group, which she founded. She previously had a career at ESPN before she began working with organizations with a focus on philanthropy, college access and mentoring.
DeLandro ran for City Council in 2017, very nearly winning an upset victory in an uphill race in the City’s First Ward, where Republicans have historically had the advantage in city level elections, and then was selected as the City Council’s first woman and first African American Clerk of Committees. She has also previously served on the city’s Youth & Family Services Commission and the school system’s Graduation Odyssey Task Force.
DeLandro’s stature as a leader in the community and among Democratic Party activists has grown, advocates for her have noted, because more attention has been focused on what are widely viewed as her substantial qualifications and leadership capabilities, ironically, because city Republicans’ blocked her from a seat on the Council. Republicans blocked the appointment of her to succeed newly elected Rep. Manny Sanchez (D-24) in the City Council seat he vacated to take office in the state legislature, choosing a loyalist to Stewart-Republican political machine, instead.
