Yalies Race To Be Next Ward 1 Alder

Two Yale students are running for the role of downtown alder with hopes of boosting civic engagement in a ward with low local voter turnout and where the incumbent is not seeking reelection.

One candidate is a lifelong New Havener; the other is an ​“outsider” inspired by his frustration with the Civilian Review Board. 

Rhea McTiernan Huge and Jake Siesel are both rising juniors at Yale, Democrats, and running to represent downtown’s Ward 1.

That seat is currently held by first-term Alder Kiana Flores, who is not seeking reelection and has endorsed McTiernan Huge.

McTiernan Huge currently serves as Ward 1 Democratic co-chair, filling the role on behalf of current Alder Flores, who previously held the co-chair position in addition to her role as alder. McTiernan Huge said that learning about the Board of Alders under Flores ​“made me realize the position holds a lot of weight.”

McTiernan Huge grew up in Wooster Square and graduated from Wilbur Cross High School. At Yale, she is majoring in in Environmental Studies. ​“I love New Haven,” she said. ​“I’m genuinely so happy to still be here.” 

She decided to run for alder because she wants to be more involved in the city she calls home. She appreciates that the role of alder isn’t specialized, and she could have an impact on the city in a variety of ways. ​“I think New Haven is a really beautiful and vibrant place,” she said, and she wants to emphasize that as alder.

One of her biggest priorities is boosting civic engagement in Ward 1, which largely consists of Yale students — many of whom aren’t registered to vote in New Haven. She has some experience: She promoted voter registration and turnout in the ward last fall. 

In the most recent municipal election year, in 2023, 11 percent of registered Ward 1 voters — or 106 in total — voted in the contested mayoral race.

McTiernan Huge wants students to know that, even if they’re living in New Haven for only a few years, ​“this is a place that you’re living.” 

She wants Yale students to understand the weight that the position holds and its ability to be a tool for change, especially for anyone dissatisfied with the current political climate. 

In a press release announcing her candidacy, she stated, ​“Due to unprecedented and uncertain shifts in federal policies towards educational funding and immigration, both New Haven and Yale are navigating similar issues. Honoring the value of education and the contributions of immigrants, in particular, are crucial to the commitments of the city and Yale.”

She thinks the race being contested will already help boost engagement. While she has not yet formally filed to run with the City Clerk’s office, she plans to do so on Wednesday.

“I’m very excited about this process,” McTiernan Huge said. ​“I think this will be a great learning experience.”

Siesel, on the other hand, hails from North Carolina. Acknowledging that the last four alders to represent Ward 1 — Hacibey Catalbasoglu, Eli Sabin, Alex Guzhnay, and Kiana Flores — have been lifelong New Haveners, Siesel said that was partly the reason why he decided to run. 

“In many ways, I’m an outsider to the race,” he said. He thinks that he has a unique perspective that other alders might not have. ​“This election should not be decided by where someone comes from, but the ideas that they bring.”

Siesel’s desire to run for alder stems from his coverage of cops and courts for the Yale Daily News in the spring of 2024. He investigated vacancies on the Civilian Review Board, which reviews civilian complaints of police misconduct. He believed that the board didn’t actually strengthen police oversight, and decided to step down as a reporter and try to join the board himself as the downtown representative. Siesel said he interviewed for the position, only to meet continued delays from the city. The seat remains vacant.

“I was disappointed,” he said. After enough conversations with others and enough emails went ignored, he decided to run for alder earlier this year. He filed in mid April. 

Siesel said that one of his priorities as alder, if elected, would be ​“ensuring New Haven police and Yale police offer transparency and a listening ear to residents who feel they’ve been wronged.” He emphasized that he is not ​“anti-police.” His parents are juvenile public defenders, and he said he believes in every person in the criminal justice system being treated with dignity.

He said that he will push for a ​“clean and safe Quinnipiac River,” and noted his experience working for an educational organization that served under-resourced children.

A priority of his will be bridging Yale and New Haven. He echoed McTiernan Huge’s sentiments of improving civic engagement in Ward 1. 

“Yale should not be considered a stepping stone along the way,” he said of students who don’t engage with the city. ​“We have an obligation to serve New Haven.” 

He agreed that a contested race will make the election more interesting for constituents. 

“I’m here to listen,” he said. ​“I understand I may not understand the minute details of New Haven politics,” but he promised to lead with humility.

Flores: "City Government is Where Things Matter"

Flores, whose first two-year term continues through the end of the year, said that her decision not to seek reelection was a ​“natural” one, as she’s graduating from Yale in December. 

She noted that many Ward 1 alders have served for just one term. ​“It’s a natural way for me to close out my time at Yale,” she said. It’s useful for the Ward 1 alder to be a Yale student because students have access to all of Yale’s student housing, she said. She won’t have that after graduation, and wouldn’t be able to reach her constituents as easily. She decided it made more sense to step aside and make way for a younger student to take her spot. 

As for Flores’ takeaways from almost 18 months as alder?

“City government is where things matter,” she said. She described how enlightening the experience has been, and how important it is for local government to provide a voice for participants.

“There could have be an empty committee meeting, and then one person testifies,” she said, ​“and their testimony is life-changing.” 

After she leaves Yale in December, she is planning to remain in New Haven and take a gap year where she plans to be working full-time. Then she hopes to receive a Master of Social Work before continuing to law school.