New Haven Independent

The challenger’s name is Pierrette Comulada Silverman. She has formed a campaign committee to challenge Dillon for next year’s Democratic Party nomination.

New Haven politicians who make it to the state legislature generally become state representative or senator for life. They amass popular voting records; they usually keep their distance from intramural political skirmishes back home. Except on the East Shore, Democrats have been easily reelected to every House seat since — well, since Pat Dillon beat Republican Rosalind Berman back in the days of the Reagan administration. Not only do they never face primaries. They face only token opposition from Republicans in November, when the Republicans manage to find a candidate.

Dillon herself, who has one of the most fertile political memories in New Haven, couldn’t remember the last time a New Haven incumbent faced a primary. (Nor could I.) “I think,” she said, “there might have been one in [State Rep.] Bill Dyson’s district 25 years ago.”

Experience vs. Change

Pierrette Comulada Silverman, who’s 34, grew up in Westville — one block, actually, from her current Elmwood Road home. She attended school at Edgewood, Sheridan and Wilbur Cross. She has run the city’s Department of Elderly Services the past four years. She chairs the board of Junta for Progressive Action, a prominent Latino social service and advocacy group. She also serves on the boards of the Greater New Haven Transit District and the Connecticut Food Bank.

On what issues does Silverman disagree with Dillon? She didn’t name any in a conversation Tuesday.

Rather, she said, her candidacy is about generational change — the need to draw new people into the political process — as well as about connecting more to the grassroots.

“I don’t feel we’re being very well represented overall,” she said. “Twenty years is a great run. Part of being a good leader is knowing when to step down. I’m in the community a lot. People are very disconnected to their representative. After 20 years, you should be a household name.” Yet most constituents she has met, Silverman said, have never heard of Pat Dillon.

She acknowledged an exception: People who are concerned about the state’s mental health system know about Dillon’s leading role on that issue.

The 92nd District covers most or all of the Westville, West River, and Edgewood neighborhoods, as well as part of Dwight. So it includes voters from all income and racial groups. Its black and Latino population has grown over the years; Silverman is Puerto Rican. (Comulada is her maiden name.)

Her candidacy has less to do with demographics than with local politics: The local Democratic Party is fractured, and Dillon has been on the other side of battles from Mayor John DeStefano and party leaders. Personal style also fits into the mix. Silverman emphasized that she is a “consensus builder” in contrast to Dillon’s sometimes hard-edged personal style.

She also argued that Dillon has lost step with “changing times” in Hartford and New Haven by, for instance, supporting New Havener Bill Dyson’s ultimately unsuccessful bid to become House speaker. That has rendered Dillon less effective in Hartford, Silverman argued.

“I will have a good relationship with the mayor and the local delegation,” she said. “Politics is a lot about relationships.”

Ahead of the Curve

Dillon (pictured in photo) responded Tuesday that her experience helps her produce results for her district — something she said that, contrary to Silverman’s claim, she continues to do.

As an example, she cited around $2 million in state money she recently obtained for mental health programs at the Hospital of St. Raphael, Yale Medical School, and for National Guard families. She worked behind the scenes to ensure that the money came from the sale of a state hospital. She knew of an eight-year-old law that required that money from such sales go toward mental health services — because she wrote that law. And, Dillon argued, her strong relationships with other legislators and her knowledge of the political process helped her direct the money to New Haven.

Dillon said she expected this challenge and is running hard with a positive message about her record. She spoke of championing issues before they became popular, from the needle exchange to, most recently, health screening for National Guard members who have been exposed to depleted uranium in Iraq. That bill (like an earlier one on computer stalking) became a national model.

As for supporting Bill Dyson’s speaker candidacy, Dillon said, “I always supported people from New Haven when they tried to move up — judges, Joe Lieberman, Bill Dyson.”

What about another New Havener looking to move up — Mayor DeStefano? Will Dillon support his candidacy for governor?

“I’m undecided now,” she responded, “obviously with what’s going on.”