New Haven Independent

They greeted voters mixing with parents dropping off children at Edgewood School in Westville’s Ward 25, one of seven spots citywide in which challengers are taking on incumbents and/or machine-backed candidates for the position of Democratic Party ward co-chair. Click here to read a preview of the races.

These races — for a position responsible for naming members to ward committees and endorsing candidates for higher elected office — usually fall below the radar of most viewers. But they’re also where grassroots democracy begins. The challenges take place against the backdrop of Barack Obama’s presidential quest, which has inspired Democrats seeking to change politics as usual and insider-driven machine government and campaigns.

“Slow, slow, slow,” was the early report on turnout from Democratic Registrar of Voters Sharon Ferrucci Tuesday morning — no flood of complaints as in the high-turnout presidential primary last month. In these ward co-chair races, turnout completely depends on what the candidates [themselves] pull out,” Ferrucci noted.

McGrath and Rodriguez-Reyes were supporting veteran Ward 25 Democratic Party co-chair Barbara Segaloff, shown here chatting with Police Chief Francisco Ortiz, who had just brought his granddaughter to school.

Steps away, one of her challengers, Tim Holahan, made his pitch to a voter. One issue in this campaign: a practice of limiting ward committee slots to “lifetime” appointees. Segaloff and running mate Anthony Wallace, with the help of citywide party regulars, will be counting on longtime reliable Democratic votes in the ward. Holahan and running mate Mary Faulkner would be looking for a boost from newer, young families in the ward seeking a chance to participate in their neighborhood or frustrated with what they’ve seen as a lack of accountability or openness from their elected officials.

Across town in the Wilbur Cross High School parking lot, incumbent Ward 10 co-chair Sabrina Bruno (at right in photo) set up her usual festive tent, along with running mate Debra Hauser (pictured beside her).

A second tent was pitched immediately next to theirs, where firefighters Kevin Donohue and Raymond Saracco anchored their challenge campaign for ward co-chair.

Stay tuned to the Independent after 9:30 p.m. for early returns.