Melissa Bailey File Photo
New Haven U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro announced on Thursday that she is endorsing hometown candidate Gerry Garcia in his run for Secretary of State.
Garcia (pictured) lives on Bradley Street in New Haven and is a former city alderman. As of Thursday, he was the only Latino running for statewide office in Connecticut this year.
In her endorsement announcement, DeLauro praised Garcia as “the best in our next generation of Connecticut’s leadership” and “a champion for working people.”
“He understands the aspirations of underrepresented communities – he’s lived them – and so many of my constituents have told me what I already knew: Gerry is the right person at the right time running for the right office,” DeLauro said in a press release.
“It is humbling to receive Congresswoman DeLauro’s endorsement,” Garcia said, in the release. “The Congresswoman has been a role model for me my whole life, and I am deeply grateful.”
DeLauro’s endorsement comes just a week before Democrats gather in Hartford for the state nominating convention, where New Haven Democrats have promised to deliver Garcia their bloc of 81 delegate votes.