The only Democrat on the Avon Town Council received his party's endorsement at a convention Tuesday night to run for 17th District against state Rep. Tim LeGeyt.
David Peña, who was just re-elected for his third term to the council last November, pledges accessibility to Avon and Canton residents and bipartisanship.
"It's an honor to accept the nomination," Peña said after the Democratic convention at Canton Community Center.
He made the decision to run when his party approached him about it couple months ago, not long before his mother, Bertha passed away from a stroke.
Peña said that his parents and family continue to be an inspiration to him. Bertha was still driving and keeping the books at his brother's Texas business, Kleen Supply until she was 87.
His wife, Mardelle's 91-year-old mother lives with the Peñas and frequently updates him on seniors' point of view on local issues. He plans on reviewing ways to strengthen current tax relief programs for seniors and veterans, according to a press release from his campaign.
His father, Mario, who died 21 years ago, was involved in local politics back home in Texas. Peña also had an aunt who won her political campaign the day he was born.
He continues his family's legacy of business and political involvement. As a marketing consultant, Peña has run his own small Avon business, Workplace Innovations for 23 years. He advises clients about how to create the ideal home office and works with businesses to develop telecommuting programs for staff. The U.S. Small Business Association previously named him the first and last Business Advocate of the Year.
He also gave businesses support as a previous three-term president of the Avon Chamber of Commerce, starting in 2000. Peña has also served on the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Peña is concluding his Nutmeg TV Public Access (Channel 5) show, Cash in at Home: The Home Business Show in a month, which he has produced and hosted for 15 years, informing viewers about how to start their own home business and build it up.
With his daughter, Mackenzie at , Peña is also an advocate for education. He has also served on the board for Avon Dollars for Scholars, a local organization that raises money to award Avon students with college scholarships.
“Our youth is the future,” Peña said in a press release. “We must invest in education to ensure that our children are prepared to compete locally and globally. As an advocate for education, I will pursue more state funding for Avon and Canton schools. Our schools need to ensure that they are providing the education/training that will help our children secure jobs in the future. This should also apply to higher education.”
Peña, who has lived with his family in Avon for 21 years, may be an Avon municipal official, but he has already been working with the town of Canton, which was something Canton Democratic delegate Arthur Fournier applauded.
"More recently, we've had the hydro project here. We've added Avon members on it," Fournier said after seconding Avon Democratic Town Committee Chairman Daryl Worobow's nomination. "We were asked to go meet with the Town Council in Avon and Dave took particular interest in what was going on, et cetera, which from our standpoint in Canton was very helpful in the sense that we had support from one of the towns that's also involved in this."
Avon Democrat Robin Schwartz and Avon Democratic Town Committee Chairman Daryl Woroborow both praised Peña's efforts to help the community during the October snowstorm.
"It was David Peña that got the town to open the gym as a shelter," Worobow said.
He also went to Staples to get materials to make signs directing people to the emergency shelter at the high school, knowing that many were without phone service.
If Peña is elected, he will step down from the Town Council and the Avon Democratic Town Committee will be tasked with nominating his replacement.
