Former Ald. Chris Anderson (D-AL) was has been elected as the Chair of the New Britain Democratic Party by the Democrat’s local Town Committee.
Anderson was elected by an overwhelming vote after being nominated by Rep. Bobby Sanchez (D-25) to lead the city’s Democrats.
No one ran against Anderson or voted against his election, but former Mayoral candidates Veronica T. DeLandro and Alicia Hernandez Strong and others voted to abstain from vote.
Outgoing Vice-Chair and party Trustee Ronald P. Davis presided over the portion of the meeting during which the Town Committee was organized and that it elected its new Chair.
After taking the Chair position, Anderson thanked his supporters and said that he hoped to earn the trust of those who abstained from the vote.
Saying that Republicans think they own New Britain, Anderson said that he plans to organize a spirited campaign in the city. Anderson especially noted the importance of electing Democrats in the 2022 election and then winning city offices in 2023.
Anderson was elected to an At-Large seat on the City Council for the 2019 to 2021 term. While still a first-term Council member, Ald. Anderson was selected by his colleagues to serve as one of the city’s top Democratic office holders, holding the second-ranking position among Democrats on the Council.
Even before being elected to the Council, Anderson earned a reputation for his research acumen and, as a Council member, frequently discussed city issues with detailed analysis. He spoke about many of those issues in an interview with host John McNamara on the July 31, 2021 edition of the New Britain Forum by the New Britain.
Anderson has argued in favor of increased education funding and questioned city borrowing — asking detailed questions, and eliciting detailed information from city administrators and consultants as part of his public discussion.
Democrats elected Basil Green as the Vice-Chair of the party, Ann Speyer as Secretary, Eileen Ruiz as Corresponding Secretary, Francisco Santiago as Assistant Treasurer and Ronald Davis, Rosemary Klotz and Diana Reyes as Trustees.
John Tully was elected as Treasurer in a contested vote, with Nate Simpson also running.
Anderson is to lead the New Britain Democratic Party for a two-year term, until 2024.
