Green Party Candidate Enters Mayoral Race
by A. J O'Connell,
The Stamford Times
A fourth candidate entered Stamford's mayoral race this week, quietly announcing his intention to run on Thursday, July 21. The announcement comes in the wake of the buzz caused by Tuesday's GOP convention and Democrat announcements.
Darek Shapiro, 52, a local architect and outspoken proponent of clean energy, is petitioning the state to run as the Green Party's candidate. He will be championing environmental issues such as energy conservation, affordable housing for middle class citizens and an increased emphasis on mass transportation within the city of Stamford.
"Very simply, the major issues are not being addressed," he said.
Shapiro acknowledges his issues are not hot ones for a local campaign--for the most part, the other candidates are talking about the tax rate, their track records and the city's schools.
"I'm trying to create a green movement in this city," he said.
The city's environmental record has only come up in this campaign when Mayor Malloy touted the city's dedication to the acquisition of open space, green energy and pointed to the 2005 Climate Champion that the city received from global warming agency Clean Air-Cool Planet in June.
Shapiro blasted the mayor on Thursday, saying that while there is a dedication to the environment in the city, it doesn't come from Malloy but from some of the people who work for him.
"What he calls a great environmental track record is the fact that an intern did a study on where energy could be saved in the city," he said. "The mayor got an award for what the intern did."
As a mayoral candidate, Shapiro said he will endorse creating more jobs and housing for middle class citizens in Stamford, both of which are disappearing from the city.
He is also endorsing lower energy costs and suggests the city look into a study being done with environmental agency, Energy Star. The study uses energy management techniques and equipment to reduce the amount of electricity or fuel used to power a building. According to Shapiro, the study has reduced the energy use of buildings by five to 25 percent.
He also cited the need for new power lines and cleaner energy, such as the solar energy.
"The incentives (to use clean energy) are here already," said Shapiro, who said the Connecticut Clean Energy fund has offered to play half the cost for grid-tied solar panels that can be used to power buildings.
Shapiro also wants to clear up the transportation problem which has plagued southern Connecticut. He supports cleanly-fueled public transportation and what he calls intramodal transportation, a system that would allow bicyclists to get special cars that would allow them to bring their bikes on the train.
The Green Party courted Shapiro, a former Democrat, to represent them in this year's race as the first member of their party to run for Stamford mayor. Shapiro readily accepted, officially joining the Green Party on Wed., July 20.
"It's a question of where you can do the most good," he said. "The Democrats already have a capable candidate. I just think I can do a better job."
According to David Bedell, secretary of the Green Party of Fairfield County, Shapiro is now in the process of collecting 183 signatures on a petition that will allow him to get on the ballot. This petition must be filed with Donna Loglisci, the town and city clerk, by Aug. 10, according to the Secretary of the State's Office in Hartford.
Shapiro joins two other political newcomers in challenging the current mayor, Dannel Malloy, for the office he's held for 10 years. Malloy, a Democrat, was already running against Republican Chris Munger and unaffiliated candidate Achille Fiore.
It is the first time he has run against more than one opponent. During the last election, Malloy ran for office unopposed.
Malloy, who is also seeking to run for governor, has said he welcomed all opponents to the race and is looking forward to debating them on any of the issues.
Shapiro, a native of New York City, has worked in Stamford for the past six years. He currently lives in North Stamford with his wife Crystal.
Like Malloy's two other challengers, Shapiro has never run for office before and freely admits it will be difficult for him to win. His primary goal, however, is not to win but to gain attention for the issues he represents.
"Most people would agree that I don't have much of a chance but I'm not just running to win, I'm running to tell people about the real issues," he said.