First Selectman Candidate Rob Richards’ Acceptance Speech to Darien Democratic Caucus

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Rob Richards 2015 campaign

Rob Richards

Rob Richards

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Here’s the full-text of Rob Richards’ acceptance speech, delivered at the Democratic Town Caucus on Wednesday night:

Rob Richards, 2015 campaign photo

First I would like to thank the Darien Democrats for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. Serving our community as a Selectmen has been an honor and a joy.

None of this would have been possible without your support (the Darien Democrats) and the community that elected me.

The privilege of serving my community has allowed me to meet many new and wonderful people, forged new alliances, and connect to the community in a way I never thought possible.

My love for my neighbors, friends and community has guided me as I worked hard to solve Darien’s most contentious issues.

Most notable was ending the stalemate regarding stadium lights. The reason we have stadium lights today is simply because a hand was extended to connect with the neighbors who opposed the lights.

This simple act of respect empowered them to present reasonable guidelines for acceptance and in kind, opened a gateway that united our community in one of the greatest fundraising events I’ve ever seen. This truly was a community effort and I could not have been more proud to call myself a resident of Darien.

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The next hot bed issue had gone on for more than a decade. It was whether or not to positioning full time Paramedics in town.

For me it was obvious, stationing Paramedics in town was extremely important to the health, safety, and wellness of our community. I made paramedics the staple of my candidacy when I ran for office is 2015.

During my research we discovered a dispatch issue that led to the implementation of CMED, a regional dispatch system. Our fire commission and fire fighters have enthusiastically supported this change.

Today, we have full time Paramedics in-town. As a result of this our community is united once again and the issue has been resolved.

Connect, empower, and unite.  This is how I define leadership.

Leadership should unite our community. A good leader should be able to conceive ideas that solve problems and possess a temperament to respectfully engage those who disagree.

My ability to solve problems and smile often has brought our community together and put to bed many long standing issues.

Three years ago I could not have imagined I would be standing here today accepting the DTC nomination for First Selectmen. It weren’t for a series of unusual events and the revelation that I had a family history of politics going back two hundred years, all the events these past two years may not have happened. Yet tonight, I stand before you and there is no place I would rather be.

The future I see for Darien is profoundly beautiful. We will eventually solve our fiscal crisis and Connecticut will return to prosperity. Our downtown will ring with the sounds of conversation and laughter. This is my vision and I will see to it.

Thank you.

Editor’s note: This article was published at 10:27 p.m. The time stamp has been changed to 9:45 p.m. so it doesn’t appear higher in the morning newsletter than the main story about the caucus.

2 thoughts on “First Selectman Candidate Rob Richards’ Acceptance Speech to Darien Democratic Caucus

  1. Pingback: Democrats Pick Selectman Rob Richards to Contest First Selectman Office with Incumbent Jayme Stevenson - DarieniteDarienite

  2. Pingback: Rob Richards Acceptance Speech - Richards for First Selectmen, Sparkman & Thorne for Selectman - Darien Moving Forward

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