Democrat Alicia Hernandez Strong thanked supporters of her campaign for Mayor, while looking to the future on issues her campaign raised.
“Yesterday wasn’t the turnout we wanted,” Strong said. “But, looking back, this movement didn’t start with my campaign, and it’s not going to end with my campaign.”
Strong campaigned for the Democratic nomination for Mayor on grassroot progressive issues, saying her campaign was for, “working people. I am fighting for working people because I believe that our students deserve a well-funded, quality education in this town.” She called for affordable housing and a police civilian review board with subpoena power, “in which the police will be accountable to all of the residents of New Britain.”
Strong campaigned on issues including economic development, housing, greater support for education and addressing racial and economic disparities in public health. Strong spoke about the issues she campaigned on in an appearance on the New Britain Forum by the New Britain Progressive.
In July, Rep. Bobby Sanchez (D-25), won the endorsement of the New Britain Democratic Party’s Town Committee, but Strong collected petition signatures to qualify for the September 14, 2021 primary in which everyday Democratic voters would be able to decide their nominee for Mayor. Democrats Richard Lacourciere and Nate Simpson ran for At-Large City Council, after petitioning for a primary on Strong’s “People’s Slate.”
After Strong qualified for the primary, her campaign said that hers was, “the only campaign in this primary with a 100% volunteer operation,” saying that her campaign’s grassroots efforts were, “showing the strength of the grassroots movement they have built so far.”
Rep. Sanchez won the primary on September 14th, officially becoming the Democratic Mayoral candidate. Sanchez thanked Strong and her team, “on a hard fought campaign focused on the issues that face our great city.”
Sanchez added, “I look forward to sitting down with her soon to talk about how we can all move forward as Democrats to defeat the Republican mayor in November.”
After the primary, Strong noted that, in her campaign, “We have made this city talk about things that have never been talked about before.”
“We have seen Republicans and Democrats having to argue for or against the bold plans they used to just ignore — fixing the housing crisis in the city, fighting the police misconduct when it’s affecting our children,” Strong said.
A founder and former President of the New Britain Racial Justice Coalition, Strong has called on residents to, “get involved in the movement to transform New Britain.”
“Things are changing,” Strong said after the primary, “and while it’s not happening as fast as we wanted, that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. We will work to get Democrats who are in the general election to commit to some real, lasting change for New Britain.”
“Lastly,” Strong said, “I hope that any little girl of color in New Britain can look at what I did here, and see that she can too run for Mayor of New Britain, and that she should put her hat in.”
