Isaac Yu Photo
Karen DuBois-Walton and Justin Elicker face Ward 15 Dems.
New Haven’s leading mayoral candidates tackled policing, education, and housing challenges — rather than each other.
That happened Wednesday evening in Fair Haven.
Speaking to the Democratic committee in the neighborhood’s Ward 15, the candidates for the Democratic nomination, one-term incumbent Justin Elicker and challenger Karen DuBois-Walton stood amidst chirping birds in the idyllic English Mall greenspace, and offered idea after idea to address the interconnected issues.
Combined, they offered a vision of the city that often aligned more than not, with different specifics filling it in.
Elicker took one swipe at DuBois-Walton, for having served on the board of Yale New Haven Hospital, but otherwise presentations were free of the attacks both have levied on each other throughout the campaign.
Ultimately, the 11 committee members present voted unanimously by hand to endorse Elicker. Both co-chairs, Rob Roberts and Kevin Diaz, indicated that they will vote for him at the July 27 Democratic convention, when the party formally endorses a candidate. Thirteen of the city’s 30 Democratic ward committees have now cast these nonbinding votes; Elicker has won all but two. (A full list of vote counts appears further in the story.)
Responding to questions, candidates discussed some of the most pressing issues hanging over the race:
Tackling Increased Crime
Amid a rise in shooting and homicides, both candidates spoke about having more cops on the street, including on foot; and about finding ways beyond policing to tackle underlying problems.
DuBois-Walton proposed expanding an officer-residency policy she implemented as head of New Haven’s housing authority level could be broadened citywide. “We have found it very effective to offer a residency program to have an NHPD officer live rent-free in the complex in exchange for providing patrol services,” she said. “But more importantly, they become integrated as part of the community, getting to know the residents, and residents’ kids, and creating that community policing we’re looking for.” She also referenced a 15-point public-safety plan her campaign has released. (Click here to read about some steps the housing authority took as the pandemic crime surge began.)
Elicker discussed the importance of rebuilding NHPD ranks with a new class of officers in October and beyond. He said that federal American Rescue Plan pandemic-beat funding is being used to add beat officers. Meanwhile, his administration has been creating a pilot form of a Crisis Response Team to send social workers or other non-police professionals to many 911 calls that don’t require cops. Once implemented, the city’s team will handle calls concerning sex workers and drug users more effectively, he said.
Housing
Sally Esposito and Mary Ann Moran question the candidates.
Advocates fear a wave of evictions in town with the expiration of pandemic moratoriums. Both candidates talked about the need for local government to tap into existing resources to tackle the problem.
Sally Esposito spoke of a woman she knew who could face homelessness when her lease is up in September. Long-term solutions to unaffordable housing are great, Esposito said. But what about now?
Elicker said that residents under imminent threat of eviction may qualify for new federal funding made available during the pandemic; landlords are in fact required to apply for such funding before evictions. He promised his staff would focus on the issue, and urged people to contact him directly to be connected to available government help.
DuBois-Walton proposed that employers be required to pay a housing wage in order to benefit from federal ARP funds flowing to the city this year, helping people pay the rent. She spoke as well about forgiving rent, which she did at the height of the pandemic for many public-housing residents.
Neighbor Mary Ann Moran asked about problem tenants at the rebuilt Quinnipiac Terrace public-housing development. She said she has spoken with the complex staff about why the tenants are not evicted more promptly; she said a staff told her she was “scared to death” of retribution. She asked whether officials can arrange for regular police patrols at the complex to keep crime down. DuBois-Walton said she would like to see a city cop live there under an expanded residency program.
Education
Ward Co-Chairs Rob Robers and Kevin Diaz.
Both candidates talked about their experiences as New Haven Public School parents and the importance of making the district attractive to New Haveners who might otherwise send their kids to neighboring districts or private schools.
DuBois-Walton pointed to the success of the New Haven Promise college scholarship program. She has proposed a “Pre-Promise Program” to support quality pre-kindergarten learning for all New Haven children. Introducing early pathways towards careers in biotech and public safety could help address NHPD’s staffing troubles and help New Haveners benefit in the city’s growth, she argued. Leveraging Yale as a partner to invest in educational initiatives would be a necessary companion to upping the university’s voluntary payment, she added.
“New Haven is the place that does things that other places don’t think is possible,” DuBois-Walton said. “It’s in our DNA.”
Elicker said that the district should look to other towns like New Canaan that spend more money per child than New Haven does. Paying paraprofessionals a higher wage as well as creating a culture of actively choosing NHPS are also important, he said.
In addition to focusing policy, the city needs to work harder to convince “parents like me” to send their kids to public school, Elicker said.
Earlier in the day, the candidates did duke it out as usual, on WNPR’s “Where We Live.” Click here to listen to that episode here.
Following are results and stories about other ward votes.
Ward 4: Elicker near-unanimously (no official final vote tabulation)
Ward 8: Elicker, 16 – 4
Ward 9: Elicker, 7 – 0
Ward 10: Elicker, 14 – 0
Ward 14: Elicker, 15 – 11
Ward 15: Elicker, 11 – 0
Ward 18: Elicker, 20 – 4
Ward 21: Elicker, 12 – 10
Ward 25: Elicker, 31 – 12
Ward 26: Elicker, 26 – 12
Ward 27: Elicker, 7 – 0
Ward 29: DuBois-Walton, 17 – 7*
Ward 30: DuBois-Walton, 19 – 1
Mayce Torres, who has also filed to run as a Democrat, received one vote in Ward 29.
" one-term incumbent Justin Elicker and challenger Karen DuBois-Walton stood amidst chirping birds in the idyllic English Mall greenspace, and offered idea after idea to address the interconnected issues.
Combined, they offered a vision of the city that often aligned more than not, with different specifics filling it in.
Elicker took one swipe at DuBois-Walton, for having served on the board of Yale New Haven Hospital, but otherwise presentations were free of the attacks both have levied on each other throughout the campaign."
-This is what the campaign tactics should be, presenting concrete ideas and realistic solutions instead of attacking each other and offering vague "pie in the sky" suggestions with no details.
I hope from here on out, the candidates will provide more positive and constructive campaigns with detailed plans and realistic ideas based in facts rather than sniping at each other and making unrealistic suggestions and criticizing each other for things that are more complex than a simple sound bite to fix.
The voters deserve facts and truthfulness, not negativity and unrealistic promises.