Background: Assistant district attorney; lawyer; adjunct professor; association president and chairman.

Top Issue: To provide a safe community for young people. In Stamford, we have done this in several ways, including a new program to provide universal pre-school, broad-based community policing that has made us one of the safest cities in the nation, and ongoing commitment to improve our excellent public school system.

Guiding Value: I am guided by the principle that citizens deserve responsive, efficient services. I feel strongly that government leaders need to be forthright with citizens about the choices that their community faces, and provide solutions and leadership that reflect the aspirations of those citizens.

#1 Rule of Politics: Providing public services to citizens must always come before politics.

First Job: Sausage factory worker.