STAMFORD — Few job applicants would cite their lack of experience as an asset when applying for work in a field. But for David Cherniack, it’s part of a platform he’s put together for his unconventional run for mayor.
Cherniack works as a marketing executive. He’s never served in an elected or appointed public office of any kind. But with family roots in Stamford dating back three generations, he says his notion of public service was learned at an early age and honed through decades of experience in business management and service to others in the private sector.
This background, Cherniack says, gives him a unique perspective on what he calls the “mess” in Stamford’s government that can serve him well running for mayor as a write-in candidate.
“I have experience from the private sector and can come in and clean up the mess, in my opinion, that our city government is in,” Cherniack told CT Examiner. “It’s been dominated for all these years by one party. I can come in as an unaffiliated candidate and be fair to both parties and get things done and work for the residents of Stamford instead of special interests.”
Stamford in His Blood
As Cherniack tells it, his connection to Stamford stretches back nearly a century. His grandparents settled here in the 1920s and 1930s, first helping to found a number of synagogues and later starting financial institutions including Lincoln National Bank that provided personal and business loans when few others at that time would. “I used to go in there when I was a young kid, and I learned from an early age what helping the city of Stamford was all about. It’s in my blood,” he said.
Cherniack also brings decades of managerial experience in media marketing and sales, where he says he oversaw sizable staffs and budgets, and nearly two decades as founder, president and CEO of his own marketing and consulting firm.
But Cherniack faces obstacles as a write-in candidate. He and the other write-ins – Fritz Chery and Mike Loughran – were not invited to join incumbent Democrat Caroline Simmons and her Republican challenger Nicola Tarzia in several recent high-profile mayoral debates including ones hosted by the League of Women Voters and the Stamford Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s a disservice to us but more importantly to the voters,” Cherniack said. “We should all get a fair chance to debate and let the voters decide. We owe it to them.”
Affordability and Infrastructure
Cherniack’s campaign centers on affordability, infrastructure, and accountability. He cites rising rents and housing costs as one of Stamford’s most pressing issues. “The average rent in Stamford, I believe, is 67% above the national average. That’s unsustainable,” he said.
His plan includes increasing the use of carrot-and-stick incentives for developers to build more affordable housing, converting unused commercial spaces into residences, and “scaling up” the city’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund and rental assistance initiatives.
He stresses that development must be purposeful.
“It has to be about giving developers incentives to build a certain amount of affordable housing and not just luxury residences,” said Cherniack. At the same time, he opposes rezoning one-family neighborhoods into multi-family areas, citing traffic and quality-of-life concerns.
Infrastructure improvements are another priority. Cherniack points to delays in renovating the Stamford train station and updating parks and beaches. He acknowledges the fault for some of these delays may not lie solely with local officials but argues the buck still stops with them.
“The tennis courts at Cove Beach are cracked and decrepit and have been for years. This is a disgrace. We need once and for all to make all of the beaches and parks as nice as we can,” Cherniack said.
Road safety also figures prominently in his platform, including pedestrian safety near his own home on Holbrook Drive where he said there are no sidewalks and cars frequently speed by. He said he recently contacted the city to express his concerns, only to be given mixed messages first indicating there was no money in the budget to do anything about it and then being told a traffic study had established that there was no problem to begin with.
“If you want to prevent an accident from happening, you don’t want to just go by how many accidents have occurred there in the past. Take action before something tragic happens,” Cherniack said.
Education and fiscal responsibility round out Cherniack’s platform. He advocates improving school infrastructure, raising math and reading test scores, and ensuring city audits are completed on time.
Stamford Five Years From Now
Looking ahead, Cherniack offers a vision of Stamford as a model city for safety, affordability, and quality of life. He told CT Examiner he wants to see Stamford fulfill its potential “as the safest, most affordable leading city for business and quality of life in the entire country, not just Connecticut.” Achieving this vision, he said, requires practical solutions, proactive governance, and engaging residents in key decisions.
Cherniack also emphasizes inclusivity and bipartisanship. As an unaffiliated candidate, he says he can work with Democrats, Republicans, and other stakeholders to implement his ideas. “I’ll work with Democrats, Republicans, everyone and be fair to all of them,” he said.
Though new to politics, Cherniack believes his outsider status gives him a leg up on other candidates.
“With my long history in Stamford, the experience I have in the private sector, and also keeping up with everything going on in the city,” said Cherniack. “I can come in with fresh ideas and a different perspective and get things done instead of always fighting with people and just talking about things.”