Milford Dems Select Ben Blake for Mayoral Run

Alderman Benjamin Blake, D-5, was the consensus choice of Milford Democrats Wednesday night to run for mayor. Blake, who has served as an alderman for eight years, served as acting mayor for two months in 2009 and as the aldermanic chairman.

The convention also nominated by acclamation former alderwoman Suzanne C. Manning to run for city clerk. Manning, the publisher of Milford Life magazine and owner of Red mat Publishing Co., said that one of her goals will be to get the city’s records digitized and on-line.

Blake, an attorney, and his wife Sandra have a one-year old son, Carter. “We need a mayor who will lead, not just manage,” the candidate said during the City Hall convention. “People say local politics is all about garbage pickups and street plowing, but I disagree with that. Local politics is where we show our character as a community and demonstrate the values that are important to us.”

The Democrats nominated full slates for the 15 Board of Aldermen and 10 school board seats. Among the candidates making her first run for public office is Beverly Pierson, mother of the late Cpl. Jordan C. Pierson, who was killed while serving in Iraq.

Pierson will run for a seat on the Board of Education in the 4th District.

Frank Juliano