Gerry Garcia Announces Candidacy
for Connecticut Secretary of the State
Click here for video message from Gerry
OCTOBER 29, 2009, NEW HAVEN, CT - Financial advisor, small business owner and former member of New Haven’s Board of Aldermen, Gerry Garcia today became the first Democrat to file as a candidate to run for Connecticut Secretary of the State. Gerry, 38, is a product of the New Haven Public Schools and holds an undergraduate degree and MBA from Yale University. After working with a non-profit organization and in the private sector, Gerry recognized that Connecticut needs a new voice to speak on behalf of Connecticut voters and small businesses. Gerry intends to bring a fresh vision and new ideas to the Secretary of the States office: He plans to make the democratic process more open and accessible to all Connecticut residents and to offer a friendlier, smarter approach to attracting and retaining small businesses.
Upon filing the documents, Gerry pledged to build off of the work of the current Secretary of the State and pay specific attention to those residents who may have difficulty getting out voting on Election Day. Gerry commented that, “Its shocking that, in the 21st century, there is one thing that urban single moms, Fairfield County commuters and seniors across the state share in common: obstacles to voting on Election Day.” Gerry continued, “We need Early Voting and to leverage technology to bring the Connecticut electoral process into the 21st century.”
Gerry is participating in the Citizens Election Program and named Ronald Petronella as Campaign Treasurer. Petronella is the Executive Vice President of UFCW Local 371. Petronella stated, “Gerry gets it. He understands working people. His father was one of our union stewards and Gerry was a scholar from our union. We believe Gerry will make an outstanding Secretary of the State and he has my full support.”
Matthew Nemerson, president and CEO of the Connecticut Technology Council and former president of the New Haven Chamber of Commerce said, “"Gerry Garcia is exactly the kind of person you hope will decide to go into public life, not because he needs to prove anything, but because he is effective and will make Connecticut a better place because of his energy and ideas."
New Haven Alderwoman Migdalia Castro today said, "It is time Connecticut’s Hispanic community broke through the glass ceiling and we had our first Latino Constitutional Officer. Gerry will be that person."
Gerry lives with his wife Magda in New Haven. Magda is from Debica, Poland and she was educated in Krakow.
Gerry intends to make a formal announcement in the near future and has released a video message to Connecticut’s voters. Please visit http://www.garciaforct.com/ for more information about the candidate.
Paid for by Friends of Gerry Garcia, Ronald Petronella, Treasurer. Approved by Gerald Garcia PO Box 8464 New Haven, CT 06530
A full biography is available at http://www.garciaforct.com/documents/Garcia candidate biography.doc
A high resolution photo is at http://www.garciaforct.com/documents/Gerry%20Garcia%20300dpi.jpg
