Mary Sanders - Ballotpedia

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Mary L. Sanders (Green Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Connecticut's 1st Congressional District. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Sanders was born on November 9, 1952, in New Britain, Connecticut. She has attended classes at Philadelphia Community College, Capital Community College, and Central Connecticut State University. Her professional experience includes working as the Executive Director of the Spanish Speaking Center of New Britain. She has also worked as Associate Director of Counseling of Education and Training at the New Britain YWCA, designed and managed adult education and workforce development programs, developed a Hispanic women's center and mentoring program, facilitated career groups, and counseled domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.

Sanders has been affiliated with the following organizations:^[1]^[2]

YMCA
Salvation Army
Local CAP agencies
The Connecticut Association of United Spanish Action
NAACP
ACLU
CT-IWW
Occupy Hartford
Local environmental organizations
The national EcoAction committee of the Green Party
Green Party of Connecticut
ConnecticutPeace and Solidarity Coalition
Greater Hartford Cuba Solidarity Committee
Vecinos Unidos

Elections

2024

See also: Connecticut's 1st Congressional District election, 2024

Connecticut's 1st Congressional District election, 2024 (August 13 Republican primary)

Connecticut's 1st Congressional District election, 2024 (August 13 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Connecticut District 1

Incumbent John Larson defeated Jim Griffin and Mary L. Sanders in the general election for U.S. House Connecticut District 1 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Larson (D / Working Families Party)	63.1	208,649
	Submit photo	Jim Griffin (R)	34.8	115,065
		Mary L. Sanders (G)	2.0	6,768

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 330,482
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Nicholas Symochko (Connecticut Conservative Party)

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent John Larson advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 1.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Jim Griffin advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 1.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Mark Hancock (R)

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Sanders in this election.

2023

See also: City elections in Hartford, Connecticut (2023)

General election

General election for Hartford Court of Common Council (9 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Hartford Court of Common Council on November 7, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Shirley Surgeon (D)	14.0	4,453
✔	Submit photo	Maly D. Rosado (D)	13.4	4,265
✔	Submit photo	Amilcar Hernandez (D)	12.9	4,116
✔	Submit photo	Marilyn E. Rossetti (D)	12.8	4,080
✔	Submit photo	Thomas J. Clarke II (D)	12.5	4,002
✔	Submit photo	Kelly Bilodeau (D)	12.3	3,941
✔	Submit photo	Joshua Michtom (Working Families Party)	4.4	1,415
✔	Submit photo	John Q. Gale (Hartford Party)	4.4	1,393
✔	Submit photo	Alexander Thomas (Working Families Party)	4.3	1,388
	Submit photo	Tiana Hercules (Working Families Party)	4.3	1,361
	Submit photo	William Connelly (R)	1.8	572
	Submit photo	Barry D'andrea (R)	1.7	553
		Mary L. Sanders (G)	1.2	382

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 31,921
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Sanders in this election.

2022

See also: Connecticut's 1st Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Connecticut District 1

Incumbent John Larson defeated Larry Lazor and Mary L. Sanders in the general election for U.S. House Connecticut District 1 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Larson (D / Working Families Party)	61.3	149,556
		Larry Lazor (R)	37.5	91,506
		Mary L. Sanders (G)	1.2	2,851

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 243,913
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent John Larson advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 1.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Andrew Legnani (D)
Muad Hrezi (D)

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Larry Lazor advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Connecticut District 1.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

James P. Griffin (R)

2020

See also: Connecticut State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Connecticut State Senate District 1

Incumbent John Fonfara defeated Barbara Ruhe and Mary L. Sanders in the general election for Connecticut State Senate District 1 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Fonfara (D)	71.8	20,583
		Barbara Ruhe (R)	24.9	7,141
		Mary L. Sanders (G)	3.3	953

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 28,677
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Watch the Candidate Conversation for this race!

Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent John Fonfara advanced from the Democratic primary for Connecticut State Senate District 1.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Barbara Ruhe advanced from the Republican primary for Connecticut State Senate District 1.

2018

See also: Connecticut House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Connecticut House of Representatives District 4

Incumbent Julio Concepcion defeated Bryan Nelson, Kennard Ray, and Mary L. Sanders in the general election for Connecticut House of Representatives District 4 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Julio Concepcion (D)	79.3	2,733
	Submit photo	Bryan Nelson (R)	9.7	335
	Submit photo	Kennard Ray (Working Families Party)	9.3	321
		Mary L. Sanders (G)	1.7	59

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,448
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Mary L. Sanders did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2023

Mary L. Sanders did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Mary L. Sanders completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sanders' responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Born in New Britain and living in the South end of Hartford for 28 years. At Capital Community and Central CT State University I majored in Spanish, Sociology and Management. My life has been about service and the greater good. Working at Non-profits and service on Boards and Commissions for thirty-five years helped me appreciate the life struggles of individuals and families around the state. At the YWCA for 9 years, I created workforce development programs that put people to work. As E.D. of the Spanish Speaking Center for 18 years I developed programming for a diverse clientele seeking food, education, housing, and other assistance. With limited staffing, I trained subsidized workers, interns and volunteers to maximize impact. Worked collaboratively with other agencies to eliminate duplication and increase access to services. Often at the Capitol advocating for clients or on the street, adding my voice to those protesting wars or injustices in criminal justice and immigration. I was part of Occupy Hartford and was arrested for protesting war during Bush administration. I consider myself a Pro-choice, Social Progressive and Fiscal Moderate; we can do more with less if we get rid of fraud, waste and duplication.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

As mother to 4 wonderful children and grandmother to 8 much loved teenagers and young adults, I want to address climate change and save our melting planet. They deserve a livable world, with clean air, clean water and green spaces to enjoy. The corporate greed that major parties have allowed to run rampant is killing us and the planet - the major parties fill their coffers with fossil fuel money, took our original Green New Deal, watered it down til it drowned, and continue investing in war and domination. The Green Party takes no corporate money and is only beholden to our constituents and our 4 Pillars - Peace, Ecology, Social Justice & Democracy. Our form of democracy is decentralized, encourages participation at our monthly meetings.
I am a peace activist and if elected will be advocating for nuclear disarmament, working towards improving relations with other countries, including those seen as our adversaries, ending cruel sanctions and blockades on Cuba and around the world. The military budget has been out of control for a long time with impractical spending on weapons development, the establishment of bases in too many countries and for many of the wrong reasons. There is often little oversight and leading to mismanagement, waste and outright fraud. The Sanctions we impose on other countries harm the most vulnerable, starving children and denying them access to much needed medical supplies. This is cruel and must end!
Voting out of fear, for the lesser of two evils, has put us in the perilous situation we are in today. Envision something better and vote Green. When minor parties do well, the major parties start listening to their constituents a little better. Who knows, maybe they will give us Ranked Choice Voting and we'll have a little more of a democracy.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Environmental and Foreign Policy would take front row as without these nothing else will matter. We are on the brink of nuclear war and the climate emergency is at the tipping point. Other passions include criminal justice reform, improving safety nets including food insecurity, housing and energy needs, universal healthcare/Medicare for All, codifying Roe, free community and state college, strengthening civil rights protections and voter rights, and overhauling many of the federal departments that have been lax in oversight of our health and well being, including the FDA and FCC who are operating on guidelines decades old.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The most important characteristic of an elected official is honesty and transparency, and their principals should put people before profit. We must be diplomatic and able to negotiate and balance the needs of a diverse constituency, legislating in a nonpartisan manner. We must educate ourselves about the issues at hand and be able to see all sides of an argument. We must consider the needs of all stakeholders, ultimately working towards solutions acceptable to all. It is also important to remain accessible and accountable to the communities one represents and to be present when needed. While I consider myself a determined problem solver, a successful officeholder must engage the constituents and communities in developing solutions. Client centered communication skills were crucial whether working with individuals in crisis, developing programming and grant applications or negotiating funding contracts. Another quality I value is reducing waste, repurposing and recycling in my personal life, which would help me to identifying waste, fraud, and duplication and to streamline both procedures and budgets. As a social progressive but fiscal moderate, I think we can do more with less and still put people and planet before profit.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

After a couple years of Summer Youth Employment I worked a short time in a factory cafeteria. My first real job was at the Spanish Speaking Center of New Britain. Hired as a part-time receptionist, I later moved into the Executive Secretary position and a year later was moved into the Adult Education department. There I tutored ESL and GED classes and provided Case Management helping students develop self-sufficiency plans and move into employment. I was only there 3 1/2 years but returned after 15 years at other non-profits and schools and became the Executive Director for 17 years. We provided the community with access to a Food Pantry, ESL, GED and Computer classes, a business startup program, social services and youth programs.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Holy Water by We The Kingdom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfY7CGU8sck

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe good legislators can get better with time as their experience helps them maneuver the system and hopefully, has shown them how to best serve the needs of their constituents. The opposite can also hold true. Career politicians often lose touch with their constituents, take their votes for granted, and may be out of touch with their current reality. More set in their ways and philosophies, they begin to legislate with a “this is how it’s always been done” mentality, with little thinking outside the box. They are also beholding to their big donors and may put the needs of low-income and average working people on the back burner. Newly elected legislators coming from different professions, can often provide fresh and innovative solutions with their wider perspective and practical experiences. So yes, it could be beneficial, but not particularly necessary.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I am interested in numerous committees. I previously expressed my interest in Foreign Affairs being a Peace Activist. I would also be able to contribute to the areas of Health and Human Services and Labor because of my 35 years in social service and workforce development related nonprofits. I have been active around criminal justice and corrections issues for many years and would like to serve on the Judiciary Committee. As a candidate on the Green Party line, addressing the climate crisis and environmental justice are a priority for me, so I would ask to be part of any committees related to the environment, and public health and safety.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2020

Candidate Conversations

Moderated by journalist and political commentator Greta Van Susteren, Candidate Conversations is a virtual debate format that allows voters to easily get to know their candidates through a short video Q&A. Click below to watch the conversation for this race.

Mary L. Sanders completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sanders' responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Born in New Britain and living in the South end of Hartford for 27 years. At Capital Community and Central CT State University I majored in Spanish, Sociology and Management. My life has been about service and the greater good. Working in charities and non-profits for thirty-five years helped me appreciate the life struggles of individuals and families around the state. At the YWCA for 9 years, I created workforce development programs that put people to work. As E.D. of the Spanish Speaking Center for 18 years I developed programming for a diverse clientele seeking food, education, housing, and other assistance. With limited staffing, I trained subsidized workers, interns and volunteers to maximize impact. Worked collaboratively with other agencies to eliminate duplication and increase access to services. Often at the Capitol advocating for clients or on the street, adding my voice to those protesting injustices in criminal justice and immigration. An advocate for environmental justice and criminal justice reforms. I was part of Occupy Hartford and was arrested for protesting war during Bush administration. I consider myself a Social Progressive and Fiscal Moderate; we can do more with less if we get rid of fraud and duplication.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Grassroots Democracy - get money out of politics. Elected officials should be accessible and accountable to their individual constituents, not just the big donors.
Social, Environmental and Economic Justice for all. Such severe income disparity, even in CT is shameful.
Climate Change is real - we need a Green New Deal now before it's too late. Our grandchildren deserve our immediate action on this.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am committed to seeing a real Green New Deal, that works to mitigate Climate Change and creates Green Jobs. I am committed to seeing equitable investments in marginalized communities that include healthy living environments, quality education and workforce development, employment, and other economic opportunities. I am committed to criminal justice reforms that include overhauling policing, corrections, and drug laws that disproportionately affect people of color and low-income neighborhoods. I am committed to Healthcare for All, including vision and dental. These can all be funded without necessarily raising taxes although I would work for a more progressive tax structure and a millionaires' tax. But, before we ask anyone to pay additional taxes, we need to eliminate waste, fraud and duplication in state funded services. We need to protect small businesses from unexpected crisis and develop ways to prevent job loss when these occur. Legalizing cannabis would create jobs and bring in additional revenue as would State Banks and Public Utilities. I do not believe we should cooperate with ICE's policy of separating families.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

The most important characteristic of an elected official is honesty and transparency, and their principals should put people before profit. One must be diplomatic and able to negotiate and balance the needs of a diverse constituency, legislating in a nonpartisan manner. One must educate themselves about the issues at hand and be able to see all sides of an argument. We must consider the needs of all stakeholders, ultimately working towards solutions acceptable to all. It is also important to remain accessible and accountable to the communities one represents and to be present when needed.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

The most important quality in a good leader is honesty and transparency. Without these, your constituents cannot trust you or your judgement regarding the laws you may enact. If you don't know something, admit that you need time to research before answering and don't make promises you have no power to deliver. Part of our job is to make sure residents, and businesses, have what they need to live and thrive in CT. While I consider myself a determined problem solver, a successful officeholder must engage the constituents and communities in developing solutions. Client centered communication skills were crucial whether working with individuals in crisis, developing programming and grant applications or negotiating funding contracts. Another quality I possess is reducing waste, repurposing and recycling in my personal life which translates to identifying waste, fraud, duplication and streamlining both procedures and budgets. As a social progressive but fiscal moderate, I think we can do more with less and still put people and planet before profit.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

After a couple years of Summer Youth Employment I worked a short time in a factory cafeteria. My first real job was at the Spanish Speaking Center of New Britain. Hired as a part-time receptionist, I later moved into the Executive Secretary position and a year later was moved into the Adult Education department. There I tutored ESL and GED classes and provided Case Management helping students develop self-sufficiency plans and move into employment. I was only there 3 1/2 years but returned after 15 years at other non-profits and schools and became the Executive Director for 17 years. We provided the community with access to a Food Pantry, ESL, GED and Computer classes, a business startup program, social services and youth programs.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Not as much time for reading as an adult as I did when I was a child and preteen. I read constantly then and something that I read over and over was the story of Helen Keller. Without much thought I'd have to say that was my favorite. Never thought about why, but looking back it was all about overcoming struggles and not giving up. That must have been a source of inspiration to me, more than once.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

When I was working full-time, raising family and active in the community I had little time for self-care. I a little older and wiser now; striving to keep better balance between saving the world and my grandchildren and caring for myself.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe good state legislators can get better with time as their experience helps them maneuver the system and hopefully, has shown them how to best serve the needs of their constituents. The opposite can also hold true. Career politicians often lose touch with their constituents, take their votes for granted, and may be out of touch with the current reality. More set in their ways and philosophies, they begin to legislate with a, "this is how it's always been done" mentality, with little thinking outside the box. Newly elected legislators coming from different professions, can often provide fresh and innovative solutions with their wider perspective and practical experiences. So yes, it could be beneficial, but not particularly necessary.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

Here are 3 on my list: According to the United Way's latest ALICE report, 40% of our state and 66% of Hartford residents do not have enough monthly income to meet their needs. During Governor Rowland's administration, CT enacted the strictest version of Welfare Reform in the nation, leaving the most vulnerable with only food and medical assistance, no cash assistance at all. I believe in a guaranteed basic income to supplement the difference between actual monthly household income and a livable wage at 40 hours. CT is a rich state with a high cost of living and growing income disparity; I would begin work on raising the minimum wage to $20 and on preparing our workforce for those higher wage jobs.

Housing insecurity and Homelessness are growing. Only a fraction of the need is being met for affordable housing. We need housing subsidies while we invest in public housing in our cities. We must incentivize towns all around CT to do the same. Scattered sites and smaller developments would be best and should be located near transportation and possible work hubs. Unemployed residents in subsidized housing should be provided with training opportunities.

CT must do more to address the climate crisis. Stop investing in nuclear energy and fracking; we need more investments in solar and wind. Our water supply has been compromised in the name of capitalism, with disregard for future generations and no plan to mitigate. I want a Green New Deal for CT, which would create sustainable energy sources, a healthy environment and thousands of jobs. Environmental Justice for me also means getting rid of the waste processing facility in Hartford that takes in a third of the state's garbage and recyclables and has polluted towns in our region for decades. While the Governor's related commissions and task forces are doing a tremendous job they may not be as aggressive and influential in actually getting someone to do the necessary work. We need more eyes on the prize.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

I am interested in numerous committees. I would be most able to contribute to the areas of Health and Human Services and Labor because of my 35 years in social service and workforce development related nonprofits. I have also been active around criminal justice and corrections issues for many years and would like to serve on the Judiciary Committee. As a candidate on the Green Party line, addressing the climate crisis and environmental justice are also a priority for me, so I would ask to be part of any committees related to the environment, and public health and safety.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Mary L. Sanders campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024	U.S. House Connecticut District 1	Lost general	$0	N/A**
2018	Connecticut House of Representatives District 4	Lost general	$0	N/A**
Grand total			$0	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Election Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

See also

External links

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Candidate

U.S. House Connecticut District 1

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 21, 2020
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on November 6, 2022

Connecticut's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Richard Blumenthal (D)

Christopher Murphy (D)

Representatives

District 1

John Larson (D)

District 2

Joe Courtney (D)

District 3

Rosa DeLauro (D)

District 4

Jim Himes (D)

District 5

Jahana Hayes (D)

Democratic Party (7)

	v • e State of Connecticut Hartford (capital)
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