MILFORD, CT – Kerri Rowland feels humbled but energetic after receiving the Democratic Nomination for Milford Mayor.
“The energy was excellent, and to see many new democrats joining our town committee was exciting,” Rowland said. “To have my family there supporting me and several friends and to know that the DTC was behind me and my candidacy was humbling and energetic simultaneously. It felt so good.”
“A genuine love for Milford was in that room,” she said.
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Rowland announced she was running for mayor on the steps of city hall on April 17.
“I love Milford, born and raised here, and I want to retire and afford to live here; that’s the first reason I decided to run for Mayor,” she said. “The second reason is that I’ve been involved in Milford politically with my job since 2005, and I saw this as an opportunity to expand the work that I’ve done as register, and I want to bring that to city hall and continue to be approachable to the people of Milford.”
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“I want to continue to bring people together to solve our problems, and I know that it takes extra effort and time to have conversations with people, but that’s the kind of effort I’m showing by going out in 90-degree weather knocking on doors that I’m willing to do as the mayor,” Rowland added.
Rowland and her team have knocked on over 1,200 doors, and as she talks to Milford residents, Rowland said, for the most part, they are happy about living in Milford and pleased about the services the city provides.
“Some of the concerns obviously are the education budget, but also things like potholes and beautification,” she said. “If those are our biggest issues, then we are in a great place as a municipality in Connecticut, and I want to continue that.”
Part of what Rowland has been talking to residents about is the words on the back of her walk literature: honesty, transparency and integrity.
“Those aren’t just words I use to describe me; those are words I have worked as registrar to do, and I want to bring that to city hall,” she said.
Rowland said through her job as the Registrar of Voters, she’s worked with Republican and Democratic poll workers to make the elections happen.
“I want to work with the Board of Aldermen, department heads to make good things happen for the citizens of Milford,” she said. “It’s the same thing, just on a larger scale.”
As the Registrar of Voters, Rowland said there are policies in place for what she is allowed to do in November during Election Day.
“I do the work I’m allowed to do by law between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. as Registrar. I never campaign while I’m at work. When it comes to the election work, I will not be directly involved with ballots or tabulators,” Rowland said. “I will not be working on Election Day; my duties will be taken over by the deputy as prescribed by state law.”
“I’ve built my integrity, honesty and transparency in working closely with Republican and Democratic and unaffiliated poll workers, and no one is allowed alone with that process to keep the integrity intact,” She added.
Rowland said she feels confident in her ability to separate her role as Registrar of Voters from her role as a candidate for Milford mayor.
“I’m willing to talk to anybody who has questions about it,” she said.
As the days get closer to the elections, Rowland said every little step her campaign takes gives her the energy to keep going.
“Even though I know the election is getting closer, it’s exciting every day to meet people or do something related to the campaign that people are excited about,” she said. “The energy that I’m getting and feedback is keeping my energy up.”
“It’s exciting for Milford. I think times have changed, and sometimes that’s scary for people, but it can bring about remarkable ideas, new visions and new people that can help grow and make things even brighter and bigger and I want to be part of that,” Rowland added.
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