Branford resident and locally elected official Ray Ingraham, who currently serves as the Republican Majority leader of the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) will run for the 102nd State Representative seat in the November 2016 election. The 102nd district serves the Town of Branford and is currently represented by Branford resident Lonnie Reed (D), who announced her 2016 bid for re-election in January.  Ingraham shared the following letter with Zip06 March 31:

I am writing to announce that I will be running for State Representative in the 102nd Connecticut district serving the Town of Branford. Since settling in Branford in 1986, Branford has adopted me and taught me what it is to have a home. I grew up in many places around Connecticut - including a period of homelessness - before I joined the Air Force at age 17. In my time in the military, I was able to see parts of the world that were troubled, serving where many hated us for being in their hometowns. The Air Force gave me not only a career but the first-hand experience of achieving a goal by building trust and working with others.

My wife MaryJane insisted that we settle in Branford, her family's summer home since 1894. Branford was the place of all of our vacations, and she had the foresight to realize that this would be the best place in the world for us and our two girls to live. We resided on Linden Avenue with her parents while saving for our own place, which we eventually bought in 1993, adding one more daughter to the mix in the process. We love our little place on Indian Neck Ave and plan to be here for the rest of our lives.

I have been lucky to have been exposed to the best and at times not so good people  that Branford has to offer. This exposure came from my desire to simply help Branford in any way I could. I began with the Indian Neck Improvement Association, where we protected and maintained a portion of the Linden Shore area as well as hosted an annual neighborhood party. When my daughters started growing up, I became active with the Branford Girls Softball League, where I had the pleasure of not just coaching but also serving as the league President for 22 years After this initial experience, I realized I loved coaching so much that I took on opportunities with both the Basketball and Field Hockey leagues, eventually getting the chance to assist coaches at Branford High School . When the girls got older, I took an interest in the Branford Festival, where I was able to join a group trying to highlight all the good there is in Branford and showing it off for all to see. Here, I was honored to serve in the role of Chairman in 2008 and, later, on the corporate board as Vice-President.

My desire to continue serving our town brought me to the political world, where my initial goal was simply to attain a seat on the Board of Recreation. Realizing - as an unaffiliated voter - that joining a political party was the best path to joining the Board, I decided to research the local parties. I very quickly saw the Branford Republican Party as the best fit for me and what I hoped to achieve for the town, and a short time after joining the party I received two extraordinary honors: winning a seat on the RTM in the 5th district, and being named Chairman of the Branford Republican Town Committee. In my just over 4 years as an RTM member and Majority Leader, I have loved every second of serving my district and have found it truly rewarding to help lead the way to a better future for the town. I have loved every interaction I have had with my neighbors - even the disagreements. They are all part of the decisions we have made and have ensured that the final solutions have been the best ones. I take great pride in the direction Branford is heading.

After much thought, I am now hoping to take my work to the next level in the Connecticut House of Representatives, I simply do not believe that my constituents have the right voice in Hartford. This district needs a representative who is able to provide solutions to the wider level of statewide needs and balance it with the needs of each and every resident of Branford. I know firsthand the struggles each of you has faced in balancing your family's needs with the demands of Hartford. Our efforts on the RTM have proved that it can be done- we have brought the smallest budget increases in decades while maintaining services and meeting our many infrastructure needs. I certainly don't claim to have all the answers, which is why I know I need to work with all of you directly to come to the best possible solution for the people of the 102nd district.

It is time:

to have real representation in Hartford,

to have balanced budgets in Hartford,

to ensure that Branford receives it fair share from Hartford, and

to ensure that common sense prevails through honest and open discussions with all elected officials.

I ask for your support now (and) on Tuesday November 8th - to assure Branford has a real voice in Hartford working for a better future for Branford and the State of Connecticut.

Sincerely,

Ray Ingraham