About
Lon Seidman, 32, brings an extensive background in international business, grassroots political campaigns, and youth activism to Connecticut politics.
Lon is a partner in his family’s business The Safety Zone, LLC – an Essex-based importer of gloves and personal protection products. His various roles with the company include information technology, telecommunications, efficiency projects, personnel management, marketing, public relations, and international relations. The company has numerous locations throughout the world, including seven U.S. locations and a number of facilities overseas. The Safety Zone employs over 200 people worldwide.
Shortly after graduating from the University of Hartford in 1998 (where he served as Student Body President), Lon at 22 became the youngest person ever elected to the Westbrook, Connecticut Board of Education. It was that experience that led him to begin focusing on providing young candidates the tools and resources they need to win elections.
In 2002 Lon was elected to the Democratic State Central Committee and the following year was elected Co-President of the Connecticut Young Democrats – a position he held until 2007. The Connecticut Young Democrats have grown tremendously over the last five years, with the formation of a number of regional chapters and the addition of hundreds of new members throughout Connecticut. The Connecticut Young Democrats have strongly advocated for youth voting issues, and provided tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to over sixty young candidates seeking office at all levels of government.
Lon has been involved with a number of important political campaigns in the Connecticut Valley Shore region, beginning with 33rd District State Senator Eileen Daily’s re-election in 1998, and continuing as campaign manager for 35th District State Representative Brian O’Connor in 2000 (O’Connor was elected at age 28) and O’Connor’s successful re-election in 2002. Lon led the Essex Democratic municipal slate campaign in 2003, which resulted in the first Democratic victory in almost two decades. In 2004 he consulted on a number of legislative races, including another young candidate, 101st District State Representative Deborah Heinrich, who unseated a six term incumbent in a heavily Republican district that voted for George W. Bush. In 2005 he once again led the Essex Democrats to a 2 to 1 victory.
In 2006, Lon was the campaign manager for Congressman Joe Courtney’s successful campaign for Congress. The race was the closest in the country, with Courtney defeating incumbent Rob Simmons by 83 votes out of more than 240,000 cast. Many credit the work Lon and others did to greatly increase youth interest in the election, pointing to the dramatic increase in turnout over the prior mid-term election. The University of Connecticut alone experienced an 800% voter turnout increase over the prior mid-term election in 2002. He managed the race again in 2008 where Courtney won in all sixty-five towns of the district with a plurality of over 100,000 votes.
Lon, along with two partners, formed The 83Group LLC – a grassroots consulting firm that helps talented Democratic candidates win in heavily Republican districts.
He resides in Ivoryton, Connecticut where he serves as chairman of the Essex Elementary Board of Education and vice-chairman of the Essex Economic Development Commission.
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