Thomas Breen photo
Erick Russell gives victory speech at Trinity Bar.
Stephanie Thomas (right) with state Democratic Party Executive Director Sarah Locke.
Olivia Gross Photo
Maritza Bond concedes to Secretary of State candidate Stephanie Thomas at Il Gabbiano on Long Wharf.
Maya McFadden Photo
Karen DuBois Walton concedes to treasurer candidate Erick Russell at Jazzy's Cabaret.
New Haven will have a candidate on the statewide ballot this November for the first time since 2006, now that Erick Russell has won Tuesday’s party primary for state treasurer
Russell won a three-way race over fellow New Havener Karen DuBois-Walton and Dita Bhargava of Greenwich.
The 33-year-old attorney and former state Democratic Party vice-chair congratulated his two opponents in a victory speech at Trinity Bar on Orange Street.
He said that if he wins the Nov. 8 general election against Republican Harry Arora, “I will become the first openly gay Black statewide official in American history.” He has cited the LGBTQ Victory Fund as the source for that information.
Also Tuesday New Haven Democrats followed Democrats statewide in choosing Norwalk State Rep. Stephanie Thomas over hometown challenger Maritza Bond in the primary for secretary of the state.
And New Haven Republicans — the few hundred who voted — along with Republicans statewide chose a Donald Trump-endorsed candidate over a moderate in the race for U.S. Senate.
Russell (center) with current State Treasurer Shawn Wooden and Gov. Lamont reelection campaigner Brandon McGee.
Democratic winner Thomas appeals to independents, Republicans in remarks at victory party at Trinity Bar.
At his victory speech at Trinity Bar, Russell committed to maximizing returns, protecting state pensions, and “freeing up resources” for education and working-class tax relief as state treasurer if elected in the general election. The state treasurer is responsible for overseeing Connecticut’s nearly $45 billion in pension and trust fund assets.
Russell spoke as well about steering state investments toward in-state companies and away from corporations responsible for climate change and opioid addiction.
He also noted that Republican state treasurers nationwide have formed a national coalition to “use public dollars to sabotage America’s defense against climate change.” (Read more about that effort in this New York Times article.)
“The stakes of this election could not be higher,” he declared. “Let’s go make history.”
The last New Havener on a statewide ticket was 2006 gubernatorial candidate John DeStefano. The last New Havener to serve in statewide office was State Treasurer Hank Parker, whose tenure ended in 1986.
At her campaign’s post-election party at Jazzy’s Cabaret on Orange Street, DuBois-Walton urged the crowd to “come together” behind Erick Russell and the Democratic ticket in the general election campaign to “make sure Connecticut stays blue.”
City Democratic Town Chair Vin Mauro Jr. said Tuesday’s results — including on the Republican end, with Trump-backed right-wing candidate Leora Levy defeating party-endorsed moderate Themis Klarides in a U.S. Senate primary — clarified the stakes for November. (Click here to read a report on the GOP primary.)
“For November what you’ll see is an inspired base, not just around Erick and his campaign, but certainly a campaign based off of what’s happened on the Republican side,” Mauro told the Independent.
New Haven's Vote
Based on the returns on city voting machines, Stephanie Thomas outpolled New Haven city Health Director Bond 53 – 46 percent among New Haven voters. (Click here to view ward-by-ward New Haven election results for each party’s primaries.)
By 9 p.m., Bond had conceded the statewide race to Thomas.
Then she addressed her supporters who gathered at Il Gabbiano restaurant on Long Wharf. The mood was upbeat — it felt like a victory party.
Bond urged supporters to help elect Thomas in the general election, when she will face the apparent winner of Tuesday’s Republican primary for secretary of the state, Dominic Rapini.
“We both ran a great campaign. At the end of the day, we have to recognize it is not my time — just yet — but at the end of the day, we are both Democrats, and we need to win this race on Nov. 8” in order to “protect our democracy” for “people who face injustice,” Bond declared.
Then she declared, “Tonight, we’re going to party!”
“In the future, Maritza Bond, no matter what she chooses to do, will do great things,” Mayor Justin Elicker told the crowd in introductory remarks. “We are behind her 100 percent of the way.”
Over at Trinity Bar on Orange Street, Stephanie Thomas addressed a gathering organized by the state Democratic Party on behalf of endorsed candidates.
Thomas, a Democrat who two years ago won a Norwalk/Westport state legislative seat previously held by a Republican, directed her remarks not just to Democrats, but to the great number of unaffiliated voters in the state … as well as to members of the opposing party.
“I would like to appeal today to all unaffiliated voters, Republican voters who are looking for an alternative to conspiracy theories and the sowing of misinformation, who believe it’s time to invest our democracy and make sure we have the infrastructure to run clean elections,” Thomas said.
(The New Haven voting percentages cited here come from returns reported from voting machines, relayed by Independent poll watchers. They do not include absentee ballots, which are being counted later Tuesday evening. But the absentee ballots are not expected to greatly impact the results: 407 Democratic absentee ballots were returned to the city clerk’s office, and only 37 Republican absentee ballots.)
Meanwhile, party-endorsed Erick Russell of New Haven captured 52 percent of the New Haven vote in the Democratic primary for treasurer. New Haven did vote big for hometown candidates, but there were two New Haven candidates in the race: Karen DuBois-Walton, the other, captured another 39 percent of the New Haven vote. Dita Bhargava of Greenwich captured just 9 percent of the New Haven vote, based on machine results.
Organized labor — particularly the Yale-affiliated UNITE HERE unions — worked to elect Bond and Russell Tuesday, battling not just extreme heat but extreme apathy among voters about an August primary involving lesser-noticed statewide offices.
The big surprise of the night might have been in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate. Though not many Republicans voted, they voted decisively for Leora Levy, a candidate backed by Donald Trump, a pro-life right-wing candidate who has never held elective office. They voted against Themis Klarides, a pro-choice, moderate former state legislative leader with decades of experience in government — the kind of candidate who more fit the mold of the historically moderate New Haven and Connecticut GOP. Based on New Haven machine tallies, Levy bested Klarides 61 to 28 percent in the city vote. (A third candidate, Peter Lumaj captured 11.)
Thank you to all the volunteers who called in and collated results to the Independent Tuesday evening.
Erick Russell wins Democratic primary for state treasurer, speaks at Trinity bar.
Stephanie Thomas wins Democratic secretary of the state primary, accepts nomination at Trinity bar on Orange Street.
Maritza Bond concedes to Stephanie Thomas at Il Gabbiano restaurant.
Karen DuBois Walton concedes to Erick Russell at Jazzy's Cabaret.
What an insulting headline in the way it refers to primary winner , Leora Levy. They prefer to put pics of losers rather than a pic of Ms. Levy!!
The NHI is certainly not a "news" newspaper but they might try to be just a little fair when reporting and choosing less inflammatory headlines and photo placement. It is disappointing and adds to divisiveness rather than cooperation toward a common goal.
This appeals to voters who have already had their minds made up for them by media and will not let facts interfere with their voting decisions.