Thomas MacMillan Photo
In a late-game scramble to get hometown secretary of the state candidate Gerry Garcia on the ballot, New Haven is working out a trade with the town of Waterbury.
New Haven Democratic Town Committee Chair Susie Voigt said she has proposed a deal by which New Haven’s 81 delegates would vote for Waterbury Mayor Mike Jarjura for an open comptroller’s seat, in exchange for Waterbury’s 49 delegates voting for Garcia (pictured) for secretary of the state.
Candidates need 275 delegates, or 15 percent of the vote, to earn a place on the Democratic primary ballot.
Voigt brought Jarjura (pictured) over to where New Haven’s delegation was seated Friday night and encouraged delegates to vote for him. She said she has known the mayor for years, and went to his inauguration in 2002. Voigt said as cities, Waterbury and New Haven naturally have their interests aligned.
Voigt said she couldn’t speak for her whole delegation, but she felt confident they would go along with the trade, in an effort to boost Garcia onto the ballot. Garcia has reportedly been scraping to get 15 percent of the delegates, though the candidate himself sang a much more confident tone.
“People are eager to have Gerry get that 15 percent,” Voigt (at right in photo) said.
Sean Matteson, New Haven mayoral chief of staff, was positioned on the floor with an earpiece arranging introductions for gubernatorial candidate Ned Lamont with undecided delegates. He said he stands behind the New Haven-Waterbury deal.
“I hope it works — I think it will really help Gerry,” Matteson said.
Asked about the deal between his delegates and the New Haven contingent, Waterbury Democratic committee chairman Ned Cullinan would say only, “There are discussions going on. Things are fluid.”
Delegates are set to vote for secretary of state on Saturday, after they pick candidates for treasurer, governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.
Friday evening, Garcia was being escorted around the convention floor by Fair Haven Alderman Joey Rodriguez, who was dressed in the campaign’s unique, red tie-dye T‑shirt, an homage to the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia.
Asked if he would petition for a spot on the ballot if he doesn’t get the 15 percent of delegates he needs, Garcia said it is an “open question.”
“I don’t think we’re going to face that,” he said.
Garcia declared that even without Waterbury, his campaign has already cleared the 15 percent threshold.
“We’re over it. We feel good,” Garcia said.
Garcia paused to speak with Dave Wooley, the chair of the Old Lyme delegation. Garcia asked him if he still had Old Lyme’s support and Wooley promised him four of his town’s five delegates. Garcia thanked him.
After Wooley stepped away. Garcia said, “That’s the process.”
“You can’t take a single delegate for granted,” he added later.
Melissa Bailey Photo
In living proof of that statement, one of Garcia’s opponents swooped in to New Haven’s delegation’s seats. West Hartford State Sen. Jon Harris is seeking the open secretary of the state seat along with Garcia and State Rep. Denise Merrill. Harris (pictured) knelt beside New Haven delegate Ron Smith, who’s New Haven’s city/town clerk and a biennial running mate for Mayor John DeStefano.
Harris stressed his experience as the former mayor of West Hartford and then his service in the legislature since 2005, according to Smith. He gave Smith a campaign sticker.
Smith already had a sticker — one for Garcia, who served with him on the Board of Aldermen. Smith politely accepted it, but didn’t put it on.
“I’m not putting this on!” he declared after Harris walked away.
Smith said he remains unfazed in his support for his original candidate. He said he is leaning towards supporting Jarjura for comptroller, but would like to meet him first.
“I really want to talk to him personally,” Smith said. “When you’re voting for someone, you want to know who they are.”
While the politics of this might be very smart, and deeper and more complicated than might be seen at first blush ..... they're also disturbing.
For the life of me, I don't know what's best for New Haven. This isn't just about Gerry Garcia. It's also about New Haven having a determinative role in state politics.
So I'm going to withhold judgement, until I see what, if anything, the Waterbury deal does for us.