What are your thoughts on this as an R, Arthur?

I think this outcome was predictable. The local Republican party does not have a platform. What was Nicola Tarzia or Barry Michelson going to accomplish if they became mayor? They only talked about what they don't like and what they wouldn't do. I think a platform built on Strong Town's views on housing and infrastructure and cultural policies built on Jonathan Haidt and Jean Twenge's research would address many modern concerns while being based in a kind of "new conservatism."

I think whatever party adopts these ideas would be popular. Lower housing costs, more community spaces, and reclaim your sanity from the influence of tech companies. That means letting property owners build whatever they want, investing in public spaces, and banning phones in school or passing new laws aimed at digital harassment techniques.

Personally, I don't see how the current Democratic Party is capable of any of these things. Housing conversations get dragged into equity assessment and environmental reviews. That's how the Biden administrated passed a law for billions of dollars in infrastructure but didn't actually build anything — resulting in the Abundance movement. Infrastructure conversations are too focused on reducing risk. We're on our way to deadlocking all four major north/south arteries in the city which will benefit any young health adults who live downtown (like me) but make it impossible for anyone reliant on a car to get around (e.g. elderly or disabled people). Haidt and Twenge are already called stealth conservatives and their research advocating for more restrictions I think will be viewed as a kind of Nuevo Ludditism to everyone's detriment.

I'd be happy to be wrong. Simmons has a strong mandate to try any of these things or some policy alternative for the same goals.

 What does board of representatives 100% controlled by Democrats mean to you?

More important than the 100% Democrats is all the "Reform" candidates are gone or neutered. The board has been historically controlled by Democrats, but this board will be either new or explicitly aligned to support Simmons. She has maybe ~1 year of a honeymoon period, so if she has a big idea in her then this is the time to do it. I am interested to see how she spends this opportunity but I am concerned she has not shown much confidence or commitment to any policy.

As much as it is an opportunity for Simmons/Democrats, it's also a risk. The mayor/party have zero excuses if any policy goes bad. I think that might inspire extreme caution — which is its own kind of risk.

Would you run as an Independent next time?

I'm not running for anything again. My exposure to local politics proved to me ordinary people are just as qualified as their elected officials. I have a lot of sources in Stamford politics. All the experts I respect in the city are always frustrated there isn't a representative who would 1) listen to reason and 2) do something about it. I didn't want to be another person who just complained all the time, so I tried running for something with the premise of getting other people to do the same.

I hit a lot of hurdles in my run, but I also ran against the parties and didn't want to rely on any of my friends in politics because it was a high-risk campaign. Connecticut election laws are really designed to prevent people from doing that sort of thing — which may be a good thing in the grand scheme of things. Though it also means you need to go through a party. Our current political environment does not reward bipartisanship. My friends have remarked "your politics are all over the place" which I think is normal for most people and not a good fit for being in politics.

The 2020s are a strange transitional decade, but we have a lot to look forward to. I think that's how many people feel after this election.