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I'm Mark Sudall. Welcome back to Power and Politics. Well joining me now is Jimmy Ticky, the vice chair of the Connecticut Democratic Party. Welcome. Thanks for having me. Well, as we, uh, talk about you and as the vice chair of the Connecticut Democrats, you're credited with forming the LGBTQ caucus. So what is the state of the Connecticut Democratic Party, would you say? Well, clearly after election night we're in pretty good shape, pretty good shape. I try not to be surprised by anything in politics, but some were a little surprised by the amount of wins the Democrats had even around the state. I mean, we won in places that were historically Republican towns, small towns, big cities like. In from the shoreline in Branford all the way to Westport rural areas, there was definitely a resounding victory for Democrats around the state, and I think people were reacting to the federal government shutdown and to this federal administration, but also to really good candidates on the ground working really hard, knocking on doors and having those conversations with voters. It makes a big difference. And some of these races came down to even a few votes, 6 or 8 votes in some cases. Now of course we may know. More about the the national Democratic Party next year uh but what what where are we with the National Party right now? You know, I care a lot about the national party too. I actually ran for the Democratic National Committee this past summer and won a competitive seat on it because I think we need to do more to reform our party, uh, connect with voters, working class voters, and so that is a conversation that is happening around the country. Democrats also did do well in Virginia and New Jersey. We saw the redistricting win in California. And that's going to be a real conversation to see who steps forward as we begin to look at the next presidential election. Yeah, Might the Democrats have a little bit of an easier time next go around? Well, certainly this election night was a good precursor to 2026, but you cannot rest on your laurels, and we take one election at a time. So we need to continue to work hard to organize and then to look towards the next election, which will be 2026, where we will decide the fate of Congress and who has the power in the House and in the Senate, right. And now you have a new book out, a how-to book out called Organizing to Win The Art and Science of Running for Office. I find this so fascinating. What, what is your, your biggest message you want to get get out about this book? I think that democracy only works when people participate, you know, we're coming off of this local election and We are celebrating because we had good turnout in Connecticut, which is great. We were at 36%, but that is still so low for a local election that really decides what your roads, your sidewalks, your schools, your tax rate, your development. Local elections are so important. So I had been training candidates voluntarily for the last several years, and I was beginning to collect all the trainings that I was giving out to people and helping people, and I thought, you know, there might be something here because politics, I think. Can be very intimidating to people. Many people feel like an outsider to politics or they think they don't belong or they don't have what it takes. I felt that way initially when I started running for office in the Naugatuck Valley, and I've been a volunteer campaign manager, now a party leader, and I thought we need to do more just to let people know that come on in, get involved in the political process, enter into the political arena, think about managing a campaign or advocating locally, and then ultimately running for office. And so it's a how to book. Broken down into 4 parts that really teaches people how to look around, get involved, manage a campaign, run for office, and then we peek a little bit beyond election day and think about your 1st 100 days in office, year-round organizing. There's a lot of really interesting ideas. Oh, lots on social media, lots on social media, absolutely. So, um, now you certainly work for some pretty heavy hitters, uh, here in the state, Rosa Delora, right, the Jim Himes campaign. What does it take? Uh, I mean you have to have it right in order to be successful, right? That's the art and the science when I was thinking about what, what is all this, you know, you can't just do all the right things and necessarily still win. There's an art and there's a science, and we really break down all the pieces of a campaign and of a candidate as you think about running and getting involved, and I don't want people to think that it's intimidating and they shouldn't do it. Lots of times people think campaigns can be so negative or they think the amount of money. Politics is a turnoff. That's not necessarily the case, and I really explain in a how-to way how you can fundraise for a local race or a state race, and it really applies across Connecticut but also across the country as people might be thinking about running for office, particularly a young person that might be thinking about getting involved. The book will really explain the path to them with the lessons that I've learned in local, state, and in federal experiences. I know there was one race in the state and I can't put my finger on it now off the top of my head, but there a teenager who ran in in one town, um, are you seeing more young people getting into politics? Yes, yes, absolutely, in Durham, uh, I think a 22 year old won in a in a town race in Hamden, there was a mayoral candidate wasn't successful, but I think he was 24 years old. I've heard reports of many throughout Fairfield County running in their 20s and winning. I ran when I was 21 in my hometown of Shelton back then people thought that was really young. Now that seems to be the norm. Slates of candidates have people in their twenties, and I think that's really exciting that when we look at how towns in the state is developing and we think about our future at the table are young people. New York City has one of its youngest mayors ever at 34 years old, right, with the highest turnout since 1969, so showing that people can be involved and can vote if they really are taken by a candidate, and there was a lot of energy in New York City. What else about the book do you want to get out there? I think people need to know the ways to get involved and then also to know that there are ways for you to manage a campaign and to run for office, you know, with the decline of teaching civics, it so often feels just out of reach for people, and politics is not for others. Politics is for you, and it only works if people participate and. So the book is all about making people that maybe are a little curious about it or if they know someone that's a little curious about politics or how local government works, how you can get involved, how you can run, how you can make a difference because things are only going to work if you are at the table. In the minute we have left with you, the government right now. Nationally is not working very well. What is your take on the government shutdown? Well, I think government should reopen, and I think that people are seeing these letters that they're getting in the mail where their health care premiums are doubling or tripling. And so I think what Democrats have said is, look, we know that Republicans have the White House, the House and the Senate, but you know we might not get everything in a funding package, but we need to continue these health care subsidies. So that people are not seeing these crazy increases in their health care. So open the government extend health care after the election night, even the president came out and talked to Senate Republicans and said let's reopen the government. So I think you see things that are broken in government, and this is a reason why more people need to get involved in to run for office, which my book really outlines. All right, Jimmy, thank you so much. Thank you. Well, next, a blue wave at the polls this week across western Connecticut.

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Well, there's even more confusion over Snap food benefits. This week, a judge ordered the federal government to pay full benefits by Thursday, but the Trump administration is already appealing the order. In Connecticut, 360,000 people rely on SNAP benefits. Before the ruling, Governor Lamont said that the money could go out by Monday. And we are following a handful of local elections this week in Norwalk. Democrat Barbara Smith was elected mayor. She was up against Republican Vinny Shiitano to follow retiring Mayor Harry Rilling. She spoke with News 12 just after declaring victory. Tonight marks the beginning of a new chapter for our city. As your mayor-elect, I promise to lead every Norwalker regardless of neighborhood, background, party, I will listen. I'll engage. I'll work every day to bring our community together. Having served as a teacher in our public schools and as a member of the common council, I know the challenges we face and the opportunities that we have. And in Stratford, David Chess won the race for mayor. He was up against incumbent Laura Hoy. Chess was endorsed by the police and fire unions. I'm hoping that it sends a real message that we do believe in democracy, that democracy matters, that we care about our communities, that we are dedicated to caring about each other. And Stanford Mayor Caroline Simmons won her reelection campaign against Republican challenger Nicola Tarzia. Our Greg Thompson heard from her fresh off the victory. Well, I think it sends a message that people made their voices heard in this election that they want us to continue to work to build a city that is more inclusive, affordable, and a vibrant place for everyone, and I'm going to continue to work hard every day to fulfill that vision. But also, regardless of who people voted for, I'm going to be a mayor for everyone and continue to work to build consensus and listen to residents across our city so that we can work to enhance quality of life for everyone in every neighborhood across Stanford. It was a busy week and we'll hear from some of the candidates in the weeks to come. That's all our time. I'm Mark. Thanks for watching.

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On this week's Power & Politics, News 12's Mark Sudol is joined by Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, who discusses the ongoing government shutdown, the bill she introduced to end the shutdown, and how Connecticut residents can keep their health care costs from going up among other topics.

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