Candidate Profile: Dan Gaiewski, Groton Town Council

GROTON, CT — The 2023 municipal election is heating up in Groton and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Groton Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as Election Day draws near.

Groton resident Dan Gaiewski tells Patch why he should be elected to Town Council.

How old will you be as of Election Day?

23

Does your campaign have a website? If so, include the URL here.

If you are running in a district, you can specify the district here.

Please give us your party affiliation.

Democratic Party

Education.

Fitch High School '19, Franklin and Marshall College BA in American Studies and Government '23

What is your occupation?

Intern, Office of Lt. Governor (2 months)

Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.

Yes, Mother Teacher for Groton Public Schools, Father Engineer at Zachry Nuclear Engineering Inc., and Brother PhD student in Mathematics at UCONN

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Mom works for the school system which the office I am running for has no jurisdiction over.

Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective?

Yes, appointed to the Groton Town Council in August 2023

Now we'd like to ask a few questions about your reasons for running and your general views on politics and government. First, why are you seeking this office?

I am seeking this office because I have lived in Town my whole life, love this community, and want to give back to it because it gave me so much and I want to preserve that for future generations.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is _____, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Housing and what I intend to due about is put current former school properties on the market and seek developers to build housing developments. With the increase of Electric Boat employees coming to Town it is essential that have a place to live. Currently Groton has a low supply and providing workers option on where they can live is essential to supporting the growth at EB. I will also support growing our partnership with the Groton Housing Authority, and be in favor of sensible changes made by the Planning and Zoning Comission

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The major difference between me and the other candidates seeking this post is my age combined with a wealth of experience. At 23 I am the youngest candidate on the ballot. The decisions that the Council makes have the greatest impact on my generation. Even though I am only 23 I have a wealth of experience from serving on the Council, previously serving as the Student Liasion to the Board of Education, previously serving on the Town's Fair Rent Commission, and working in the past for Groton State Representatives Joe de la Cruz, and Christine Conley, Congressman Joe Courtney, and currently working for Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz, I know the ins and outs of Connecticut and Groton's government

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Other issues I intend to address are Climate Change, expanding economic development, protecting taxpayers, and advocating for our Schools, Police, Human Services, and Parks and Recreation Departments. We must balance the preservation of our way of life while also growing and evolving in an ever-changing community.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My past accomplishments as a Fair Rent commissioner show that I can find balance and compromise between two parties. Time and time again tenants and landlords would come to the commission and I was in a position to resolve the dispute and find a common-sense solution. As a recently appointed Councilor, I supported an initiative to find compromise on the Council to put in place fiscal guardrails in distributing funds we receive for Marijuana sales in the Town and supporting, Councilor Rachael Franco, Councilor McBride's initiative to hire a Grant Coordinator for the Town in order for the Town to go pursue funding from the Federal Government and State that will preserve and protect taxpayer dollars.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

From my mother: "Just be nice" meaning that to accomplish things as a Town Councilor you need to be able to build consensus on issues to get things passed. You can't accomplish this if you are not nice and respectful to your fellow Councilors. As Councilors, the Council meetings need to have decorum and we need to represent the community with the highest degree of professionalism.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Being a Groton Town Councilor is the honor of a lifetime for me. I take my position very seriously, by responding to constituents, listening to all sides, and ability to work with my fellow Councilors. There is nothing more I would like to do than serve the Town I love. I humbly ask for your vote in box 8A this November 7th.