Allan Appel Photo
Bruce Morrison stood across the street from where he helped turn an old housing project into an attractive new development — and endorsed Justin Elicker as a politician who could pursue similar goals.
Morrison, who represented New Haven in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1980s, returned to town Saturday to endorse Elicker’s independent run for mayor.
He did so at a press conference at Dixwell Plaza, across from the old crime-plagued Elm Haven projects. New Haven tore down those projects and, thanks to a law Morrison passed, had to build an equal number of replacement homes in town as a result. In Elm Haven’s wake came the Monterey Homes housing complex.
At Saturday’s press conference, Morrison praised Elicker as the candidate of a “different future” whose ideas will enable New Haven to effectively compete with the suburbs.
Morrison noted that he worked in a legal-aid office right nearby on Dixwell Avenue after graduating from Yale Law School in the 1970s, cutting his teeth on urban issues, including an incident where he walked in on some burglars who proceeded to rough him up. Morrison’s son Drew, a Yale undergraduate (at left in photo), serves as chief organizer of the Yale for Elicker group.
“Justin is committed to public safety. Not just talking about it, but [advancing] community policing,” Morrison said.
The campaign announced that former mayoral candidate Kermit Carolina, who has since endorsed Elicker, is helping to organizing an upcoming forum to talk directly to young people about urban violence.
As a phalanx of supporters surrounded him in front of the Stetson Branch Library, Morrison said that while policies are important, character and integrity count a lot for him, and that Elicker scored high marks in that area.
“Just ask the people he represents,” he said.
Morrison represented New Haven in Congress form 1983 through 1990. Then he ran an unsuccessful campaign as the Democratic candidate for governor. He moved to the D.C. area, where he established a national reputation as an expert on immigration reform, a cause he championed in Congress.
This isn’t Morrison’s first endorsement in a contested New Haven mayoral race. In 1989, he made an influential endorsement of John Daniels, who went on to become the city’s first African-American mayor. Morrison returned to New Haven in 2010 to endorse Democrat Roland Lemar’s successful run in a primary for state representative.
Carolina with Elicker and Morrison.
Rosa DeLauro has held Morrison’s seat since he left it in 1990. DeLauro endorsed Democrat Toni Harp’s candidacy on Sept. 23.
In his endorsement-acceptance remarks Saturday, Elicker praised Morrison’s leadership in refereeing factions and helping to bring peace to Northern Ireland.
“How’d he do it? He listened to the people who’d been marginalized. I hope to continue your legacy fighting for the under-represented as we go forward,” Elicker said.
“Just as Bruce helped Elm Haven, I’ll help with affordable housing. While downtown is important, we should not forget the neighborhoods like Dixwell. Good housing and jobs and safety. I’m the candidate to deliver. If you don’t have credibility on housing, you don’t have credibility on social justice issues [either].”
“Bad landlords, take notice,” Elicker warned.
Volunteers Malcolm Welfare and Bocar Haidara.
Meanwhile a few blocks away over at Scantlebury Park, the Democratic mayoral campaign of Toni Harp was putting in the infrastructure for a noon-to-evening “fall harvest fundraiser.”
That meant 16 35-bottle cases of drinking water and 250 box lunches from Popeye’s Chicken and Biscuits
Campaign events coordinator Maya Welfare said each box contained two pieces of bird, one biscuit, and corn, paid for by the campaign.
At one of the six tables arrayed with festive Harp balloons and signs sat Jackie Johnson. A longtime New Havener, she returned from Kentucky, where she is now living, to visit and help for the next month on the campaign.
Her task Saturday was to register new voters. The campaign’s self-described “super volunteer,” and former Edgewood Alderman Marcus Paca, said the campaign has registered several hundred, with a focus on young people.
Bruce has been a great public servant. He's made a real difference, as this article suggests.
Funny story. Bruce hired a pollster who told him that he could win the governor's mansion in 1990. The rest is history.