nothin Fernandez Pushes Ahead With Unity Message | New Haven Independent

Fernandez Pushes Ahead With Unity Message

Henry Fernandez formally launched his mayoral campaign with an Obama-tinged One City” appeal across race and class lines — as supporters vowed to stick by him in the face of the surprise entry of a popular new campaign opponent.

Paul Bass Photo

Hundreds jammed the colorful confines of the downtown ArtSpace gallery at Crown and Orange Monday evening for Fernandez’s launch party. Fernandez is seeking the Democratic mayoral nomination in a Sept. 10 primary; he hopes to replace his former boss, Mayor John DeStefano, who’s retiring.

Hours before the event, news broke that 11-term incumbent state Sen. Toni Harp has decided to jump into the race. She is expected to have prominent elected officials, the Yale-affiliated unions whose allies dominate the local party, and leading African-Americans in town behind her. At the same time Fernandez’s party started, a group of Harp supporters gathered at Edge of the Woods to start organizing that campaign.

That hurt me today,” said Esther Massie as she greeted guests at the door for the Fernandez campaign. Massie runs LEAP, the nationally recognized youth program that Fernandez helped found two decades ago. I love Toni [Harp],” Massie said. But, she said, she’s sticking with Fernandez.

Others in the room said the same. They advanced an argument for choosing their candidate over Harp — that 45-year-old Fernandez represents a fresh face and a fresh approach to government.

I wouldn’t back out of a commitment,” said Rev. Jerry Streets of the Dixwell Congregational Church, who is a former alderman, Yale chaplain and city police commissioner. Streets introduced Fernandez to the crowd Monday evening. I am delighted to be supporting Henry. May the best candidate win. Henry has the experience at the local level as an administrator that the city needs at this point. He represents a new generation of political leadership.”

Though she stood out of earshot in a different room in the gallery, former Democratic Town Chairwoman Susan Voigt (pictured with Joshua Safran and Aaron Goode) offered the same argument: Henry understands what it takes to be mayor of New Haven. He represents a new generation of leadership.”

In his speech to the crowd, Fernandez laid out the vision behind his One City” slogan: New Haven is now a city where people are too often divided by income or opportunity or education, but where all groups can come together to find common cause. Click on the play arrow to the video at the top of the story to hear highlights of that pitch.

I am running because as I looked at New Haven, I had to be honest. While I love this city, it is a city divided,” Fernandez said.

There are many of us in this city who have the greatest education available in the world. There are others of us who attend schools that are failing our children. There are many of us in this city who have never known the tension and fear that comes with crime. There are others of us who make every decision, every day, worried about keeping ourselves and our children safe or even just alive. There are many of us in this city who are financially secure with a good job, savings for retirement and solid health insurance. There are others of us who work hard every day, yet don’t make enough to make ends meet, take care of our children or pay for basic health care.”

We have to have the courage to both be honest about this division and to believe that we have the ability to make a change. It has been easy in our past for one part of the city to look at another part and not see the things that tie us together. We have even had politicians who have been willing to exploit the differences between us for votes or to raise money. But we don’t have to settle for any of this. We have the ability to change New Haven from a city divided into one city. We can be one city that embraces our racial diversity, and that welcomes immigrants from around the world. “

Click here to read the full speech.

That one-diverse-city theme was on display as much in the makeup of the crowd as in the words of the speech. (And in the food, which included Italian pastry from Lucibello’s, salami mini-sandwiches from Nica’s, rolls from Chabaso, fried chicken from Sandra’s, dosa from Thali Too, and noshes from Westville Kosher Market.) The crowd reflected the different constituencies with which Fernandez worked in his days at LEAP, his time as a Yale law student, his tenure as City Hall’s neighborhoods and then economic development chief, and his current work as a consultant to civil rights and immigrant-rights campaigns.

New Haven immigrant-rights activists John Lugo and Megan Fountain (left and center) were there schmoozing with John Cavaliere, who runs Westville’s Lyric Hall.

Rabbi Shmully Hecht, who runs Pike International, the busiest real-estate firm in town, said he remains as dedicated as ever to helping elect Fernandez.

Livable City Initiaitve (LCI) deputy Rafael Ramos, who worked under Fernandez, came out …

… as did fellow LCI Deputy Frank D’Amore and demo specialist Jose Romero, shown surrounding Seila Mosquera, who runs the not-for-profit neighborhood builder Mutual Housing.

Chatham Square organizer Lee Cruz chatted with Anne Calabresi, founder of LEAP and the International Festival of Arts.

Erector Square-based artist Ann Langdon showed up with her husband Drew Days, a Yale law professor, a former solicitor general for President Bill Clinton, and a member along with Calabresi of the Proprietors of the Green.

Former state GOP Chairman Chris DePino, whose lobbying firm represents the city, made the party.

So did Shubert Executive Director John Fisher, who worked with Fernandez during his tenure as City Hall development chief.

Toad’s Place owner Brian Phelps was spotted with a Fernandez sticker on his lapel …

… as retired attorney Jamie Cohen was seen fist-bumping immigration-rights activist Kica Matos, who’s married to the candidate.

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