2025 Patch Candidate Profiles: Jerald Lentini​, Board Of Directors, Manchester

MANCHESTER, CT — Jerald Lentini is running for a director's seat in Manchester.

Candidate's Name:
Jerald Lentini

What office are you seeking?
Board of Directors

What town do you live in?
Manchester

Campaign Website
https://www.manchesterctdems.i...

Party Affiliation:
Democratic

Occupation:
Attorney - 13 years

Family:
My wife, Lauren, and I have been married for 19 years. Our son, Jordan, is seven.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
No

Previous public office, appointive or elective:
Manchester Board of Directors (since Nov. 2023),
Connecticut Lottery Commission Board of Directors (since March 2025),
Manchester Charter Revision Commission (2021-2022),
Manchester Redevelopment Agency (2018-2023),
Manchester Ethics Commission (2017-2023),
Head Moderator of Elections (2021)

Why are you seeking this office?
The past two years have seen major improvements for Silk City, as we have invested in improving the quality of life for all our residents, from new schools and parks, to a new 21st century library in the heart of Main Street.

We're converting two municipal properties–Nathan Hale and the Parkade–to new housing developments, to help increase our housing stock and get costs under control, so that more working families can make the choice to call our city their home.

We have a beautiful new park, with a pavilion and playground, being constructed right now on Spruce Street. We built new girls’ softball fields on New State Road, and a new all-wheels park and turf soccer field in Charter Oak Park, to ensure our youth have safe and modern places to play. Our trails and open spaces are some of the finest in the country, and we’re adding to that system every year. And we just created a new task force to help replace our obsolete senior center with one that actually meets the needs of our community.

We've improved public safety with new equipment and upgraded facilities for our police and fire departments, and we have, for the first time in many years, nearly a full complement of sworn officers patrolling our streets.

We achieved Gold certification from Sustainable CT, a Bike-Friendly Community award from the League of American Bicyclists, and recognition of our downtown as a Cultural District by the Connecticut Office of the Arts.

All of this work has been done with one goal in mind: to preserve our city’s tradition of being a place where working families at all stages of life can make a home for themselves. I’m proud of the gains we’ve made over my term in office, and I hope that we can build on them in the next two years.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:
Affordability has always been the key to making Manchester work. Our history and our future both depend working class residents, but right now we risk pricing too many families out of the opportunity to build a life here.

This is an uncertain environment, and considering that we have to budget for a city of nearly 60,000 people, that uncertainty is a huge hurdle to clear. Unfortunately, we're trapped in an era of punishing tariffs being imposed at random, driving up consumer prices for everything from groceries to building materials; skyrocketing health care costs; federal funds being pulled on a whim; and a tax system designed to benefit the wealthiest over the workers. It's hard to plan when the federal government--the source of tens of millions of dollars for Manchester's schools and streets--is behaving like a sugared-up toddler that missed naptime.

But there are ways we can combat these trends here in Manchester without sacrificing our quality of life. We can continue to expand our housing stock so that costs will stabilize. We can sell off municipally owned properties to get them back on the tax rolls, which both cuts costs and produces revenue. We can look to our regional neighbors for partnerships to share services and reduce redundancies. We can look for opportunities to restructure our existing debts to cut future costs. And we can work to keep taxes as low as possible without cutting key services.

When the Town Manager came to us this past spring and asked for a nearly 6-point increase to the mill rate, the Democrats on the Board of Directors said "hell, no!" and got to work looking for ways to cut costs. Thanks to our efforts, we were able to get that figure to under 3 mills, without reversing any of the gains we've made in funding public safety, schools, social services, and public works. We're continuing to invest in our people, because that's the way to keep Manchester growing steadily and sustainably.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
I am both the only lawyer and the only MBA in this race, meaning that I provide a unique skillset to the Board. That has proved invaluable over the past two years as we've considered multiple major development plans and put together our quarter-billion dollar municipal budgets.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
Normally, federal issues wouldn’t be a big part of a local election, but these are not normal times. Critical funds for our residents are in jeopardy because the Trump administration is putting politics over progress. It has militarized federal law enforcement to a terrifying degree. It has cut education and transportation grants to blue states and cities. It has put fear into our immigrant communities. It is shamelessly attacking free speech.

In the face of these assaults, I'm proud to be standing strong in defense of our neighbors and our values.

I was the first private citizen in the country to file a suit against Donald Trump and Elon Musk to try to stop the devastation of DOGE. I’ve joined federal court briefs in defense of local government autonomy, reproductive freedom, and birthright citizenship. And I will continue to do my part to ensure that every resident of Manchester is treated with the dignity and respect that’s owed to everyone in our country.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
Anyone who walks down Main Street can see the evidence that the Democratic slate has what it takes to continue leading Manchester successfully, from the new library under construction to the incredibly popular park expansion. Or head over to Spruce Street to see how we are revitalizing the East Side as a vacant, blighted building becomes new housing and the surrounding area becomes a showpiece park for the community.

Beyond the past term, my service on the 2021 Charter Revision Commission saw a number of bipartisan compromises that created a better final product, and several new ideas that are being incorporated into this fall's revision vote (be sure to vote both sides of your ballot!). And my work as a civil rights attorney have made me especially attuned to the needs of underserved communities.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Nothing worthwhile ever happens unless someone makes it happen.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
Manchester is a success story because we are a welcoming community. We embrace people, holidays, customs and cuisines from all over the world. I was proud this term to help reestablish our Human Relations Commission, to ensure that residents from every part of our city have a chance to be heard. We honored our veterans by hosting The Wall That Heals. We flew flags to recognize Irish heritage, Black history, LGBTQ+ pride, and Hispanic heritage.

We have built a phenomenal city here, and we are rightly proud of all that’s helped us to reach this point over two hundred years of progress. We have had to make hard choices along the way, but we have always chosen to put working families first, and that has been the key to our success.

And now, as we look ahead to the next two years and beyond, I am hopeful that you’ll make your voice heard. Apply to join a volunteer board or commission to help steer policy. Come to one of our meetings and speak out about what’s on your mind, or send us an email or a letter to say your peace. Democracy isn’t just something that happens in the voting booth; it’s a commitment we all make to each other that everyone who lives here gets a say. So please, speak out.

I am truly grateful for the trust you’ve put in me this term, and I hope we can continue to move forward together.