Markeshia Ricks Photo
Daryl Brackeen at Monday evening’s Board of Alders meeting.
Darryl Brackeen Jr. said he has decided to give State Rep. Pat Dillon another term to show that she can bring home more bacon for the 92nd General Assembly District she’s represented since 1984.
Brackeen, 29, a three-term alder from Upper Westville, had been exploring the possibility of running against Dillon, who is currently the city’s longest-serving state representative, in a Democratic primary. (Read about that here.) He said he has since spoken to her and has tabled that exploration for now.
“It is my hope that we can give this one more shot for her to address the many issues that have come up in the 92nd district,” he said.
Those issues for Brackeen include the ongoing sinking homes problem in the district, the lack of increased financial support from the state to the city through the Payment in Lieu of Taxes, or PILOT program, and what Brackeen called an “unfortunate situation” with magnet school funding, just to name a few things that he identified as issues that any representative from the 92nd district should be keenly focused on.
Dillon was able to secure additional state bond money for the sinking homes during this tight budget year. She’d argued that now’s not the right time for Brackeen to make a bid, as the New Haven delegation needed to present a unified front to win limited funds for the city in what’s proven to be a tough budget cycle. She declined comment for this story.
The 92nd District includes the Westville and West River neighborhoods.
“Education is a huge priority in our district,” Brackeen said. “Hopefully, these things are addressed in a proper manner.”
“If not,” he added, “I’ll be back.”