Hamden Democratic Primary 2025: Sendroff Seeks Mayoral Nomination

HAMDEN, CT — Five candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination for Hamden mayor in this year’s primary election.

The crowded field of candidates was whittled down in July when Mayor Lauren Garrett announced that she was ending her re-election campaign for a third term.

Since then, Legislative Council President Dominique Baez won the Democratic Town Committee’s endorsement at the party’s convention and is now facing a primary challenge from Peter Cyr, Lushonda Howard, Walter Morton IV and Adam Sendroff. Jameka Jefferies also intended to be on the ballot for the primary election, but fell short of the signatures needed to qualify and will appear on the ballot in the municipal election in November as a petitioning candidate, according to the New Haven Register.

Jonathan Katz is the Republican candidate for mayor.

Early voting is underway for the Democratic primary election. Voting hours for this weekend are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Miller Library-Thornton Wilder Hall, 2901 Dixwell Avenue, for both Saturday, Sept. 6, and Sunday, Sept. 7.

Patch asked the mayoral candidates on the Democratic primary ballot to answer questions about their campaigns ahead of the primary, which is Tuesday, Sept. 9.

Adam Sendroff

Occupation:

Assistant Manager, Whitsons School Nutrition, where I work on expanding the free and reduced-price meal program in Hamden Public Schools.

Experience:

I have over 22 years of experience working in the corporate world for Taylor & Francis, a publicly-traded academic publishing company. There I managed teams in multiple offices, as well as multimillion dollar budgets.

I also have over 20 years of public service experience to Hamden, as an elected official, a municipal professional, and as a volunteer.

• Board of Education, 10 years, and former chair
• Director of the Keefe Community Center
• A founding member of the Hamden Food Security Task Force
• Chief of Staff for the Town of Hamden
• Chair, New Haven County Emergency Food and Shelter Program Board
• Board of Directors, Swords to Plowshares Northeast (a gun violence prevention organization)

The single biggest issue in town is fiscal responsibility and affordability, and I plan to do this about it:

Priority one will be to fix our broken finances. There are competing narratives about what our fiscal state truly is right now. We need to arrive at the truth, and from there make the tough decisions to move forward.

On a basic level, we must finish the audit, hire a finance director- and properly staff the Finance Department, and deal with the adverse consequences of our current election-year budget.

As Mayor, I want to change the systems and structures around the budget process to make it more transparent and collaborative. I also plan to improve communication and change the tone. I see working with the Finance Commission as a path toward a better financial future.

To alleviate unaffordability, I have a plan with 5 pillars: 1. controlling spending, 2. expanding our commercial inventory to grow the grand list, 3. diversifying revenue sources, 4. engaging statewide experts, and 5. getting the state to step up- especially when it comes to the Education Cost Sharing Grant and PILOT funds.

Critical differences between me and my opponents:

Experience is a critical difference between me and the other candidates. Particularly, management experience which is crucial for the position of Mayor and the town of our size. I’ve managed town departments as well as teams in multiple offices in the corporate world. I also have budget experience from my time on the Board of Education, directing the Keefe Community Center, and in the private sector. I know how to get things done in a bureaucracy.

Lastly, my leadership style differentiates me from other candidates. I have a record of collaborative leadership- based on listening- which I will continue as Mayor.

Accomplishments:

• Championed the Board of Education’s first energy conservation plan and move to clean energy, saving money and helping the environment.
• Spearheaded the creation of the town’s overnight winter warming center for those experiencing homelessness in our community.
• Organized Hamden’s first gun buyback and safety event to keep guns out of the wrong hands.
• A founding member of the Hamden Food Security Task Force.
• Organized the creation of the community garden at the Keefe Community Center.
• While responsible for the Keefe Community Center, led the transformation of Hamden’s human services into emergency management mode when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
• Co-organized large-scale drive-up food distributions at the Hamden Middle School during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Other issues:

I have platform pieces on Taxes and Fiscal Stability, Public Health, Public Safety, Housing, Economic Development, Education, Newhall and the Old Middle School, and Community Building. Please visit www.adamforhamden.com for more information.

What else would you like voters to know about you?

• Recipient of the Hamden Heroes Award
• Recipient of the 2022 Hamden Chamber Choice Community Advocate of the Year Award
• Inspired by working at the Keefe Community Center, I got a master of public health degree
• Married to Susan Martinez Sendroff and have two daughters, who both graduated from Hamden High