CT Patch Candidate Profile: Damon Ralph For Milford Planning & Zoning Board

MILFORD, CT — The 2025 election is heating up in Connecticut and there are plenty of races with candidates eager to serve in elected office.

Connecticut Patch asked candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and will be publishing candidate profiles as election day draws near.

Damon Ralph, a Democrat, is a Milford resident running for the Planning & Zoning Board.

Occupation:

I'm a Commercial Lender with 25 years of experience lending to businesses, including for construction purposes. My specialty is financing family owned grocery and hardware stores. Some of my favorite clients serve Milford and the surrounding area. It gives me great satisfaction to know I play a small role in helping to feed our community.

Family:
I've been happily married to my wife Amy Ralph for the last 16 years. We have the sweetest mixed breed puppy named Simone who plays ambassador to our neighborhood during walks. If you're reading this and aren't quite sure if you know me, I'm "Simone's Dad".

Previous public office, appointive or elective:

No

Why are you seeking this office?
I view this as a personal responsibility. Those before me worked to make Milford the welcoming community it is today. Now it's my turn to share that responsibility, promoting and protecting Milford in ways that honor its character and preserve the city we all love.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ____, and this is what I intend to do about it:
The single most pressing issue is the rapid, uncoordinated growth of multi-unit apartment complexes that are changing the character of our quiet, livable community. I share my neighbors' concerns about these changes. While state laws like 8-30G limit how much control we have locally, I will ensure our Planning & Zoning Board uses every tool available to guide growth in smarter, more thoughtful ways.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
Mr. Firmender currently serves on the Board of Education, where he abstained from voting on the most recent school budget. Casting votes on budgets is a fundamental responsibility of that role and abstaining meant avoiding one of the most important decisions his constituents entrusted him to make.

This raises a fair question: If Mr. Firmender avoided a difficult vote on the Board of Education, how can we trust he won't do the same on the Planning & Zoning Board?

The taxpaying voters of the First District deserve full and active representation. I will bring that to every decision before the Board. My opponent already demonstrated he will not.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?
I'm a centrist, driven by people, not party politics. I believe civility starts with conversation. That's why I'm taking the time to knock on doors across the political spectrum.

What I've found is, at the heart of it, we all want the same things: economic stability, safe neighborhoods, quality education for our kids, and an intelligently designed community. When I shake people's hands as neighbors, not as partisans, the political divide begins to fade and something more constructive takes its place.

I'll continue to show up, listen, and encourage conversations that bring people together. We'll build a stronger Milford by focusing on what unites us.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
My career is dedicated to financing businesses, real estate and construction. This gives me a deep understanding of how development works - from initial planning and investment to execution and long term impact. The responsibilities of the Planning & Zoning Board align with the work I've done my entire professional life and I'll be ready to contribute effectively on day one.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
"The great psychologist Viktor Frankl, survivor of three concentration camps, found presumptuousness in the age old question: "What is the meaning of life?" As though it is someone else's responsibility to tell you. Instead, he said, the world is asking you that question. And it's your job to answer with your actions." - Ryan Holiday, The Obstacle is the Way

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
If elected, I will represent everyone in the First District and the Milford community at large. It doesn't matter if you vote for me or not. Our community comes first, always.