nothin Dems Endorse Harp; Chant: “1 More Term!” | New Haven Independent

Dems Endorse Harp; Chant: 1 More Term!”

Thomas Breen Photos

Harp accepting party endorsement; touts “renaissance.”

New Haven’s Democratic Town Committee endorsed Toni Harp for mayor for a fourth two-year term Thursday night, setting the stage for a contested primary.

The Democratic Town Committee held the convention at Career High School to choose candidates for citywide offices, for Board of Education and for alder.

The vote was 34 to 16 for Harp over challenger Justin Elicker.

Also at the convention, party delegates — co-chairs of ward committees — voted to endorse Michael Smart’s (pictured) reelection campaign for city clerk. And it voted to support Darnell Goldson in his reelection bid for the District 2 seat on the Board of Education. Goldson faced a challenge from Amber Moye, who collected six votes to Goldson’s 18 at the convention. Moye vowed to collect the signatures needed (1,034, according to Democratic Registrar of Voters Shannel Evans) to challenge Goldson in a Sept. 10 party primary.

The auditorium of the high school — which was designed by Harp’s late husband Wendell — erupted in cheers, flag waving, and chants of One more term!” after Democratic Town Chair Vin Mauro Jr. called out the results of the mayoral endorsement.

DTC Chair Vinnie Mauro, who emceed the evening in the sweaty hall with the help of a towel.

In accepting the nomination, Harp spoke of how she began her tenure as mayor in 2014 attending high school students’ funerals. Then her administration identified the young people most at risk of engaging in gun violence and developed violence-protection and job training programs targeted at them.

We have not had to bury a single one of our students since then,” Harp said.

She spoke of a city renaissance” during her first five years in office, with thousands of new affordable apartments built, the unemployment rate cut by more than half, and crime rates at 50-year lows. In a campaign year focused on the needs of neighborhoods and the needy, she did not cite the explosion of market rate housing being built on mostly vacant property.

My administration has accomplished more of the unfinished business of New Haven than any of our modern day predecessors,” the mayor proclaimed.

Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers (pictured) gave a rousing speech nominating Harp for the endorsement. She repeatedly stated that Harp had made mistakes, but emphasized her long career fighting for the people” as a state senator and mayor. Walker-Myers credited Harp for working with the alders to improve conditions in historically left behind” neighborhoods like Newhallville.

What happened in our city didn’t happen overnight. It takes time to rebuild. It takes time to get it right,” Walker-Myers said.

Pre-Convention Pressure

Paul Bass Photo

Ward co-chair Audrey Tyson: AG was on the line.

While Harp was expected to win the endorsement, both sides spent considerable effort trying to woo delegate votes in recent weeks.

Elicker captured 11 nonbinding ward committee votes at neighborhood gatherings (compared to nine for Harp; not all wards voted). That put some ward co-chairs, who serve as convention delegates, in a bind. These co-chairs personally supported Harp while their ward committees supported Elicker.

Some still voted for Harp, as they are allowed to do under party rules. At least one didn’t show up to Thursday night’s convention. Another, Sharon Jones of Ward 26, came to the convention still unsure what to do, she said. She was torn. In the end she cast her endorsement vote for Elicker out of respect for the majority of her ward committee members’ preferences.

My heart wanted to vote” for Harp, but my ethics wouldn’t let me,” Jones said. She added she will vote for Harp in the primary.

Ward 29 co-chair Audrey Tyson was in a similar bind, personally committed to longtime ally Harp but facing a ward committee vote for Elicker. She said she received constant phone calls leading up to the convention. One even came from state Attorney General William Tong on behalf of Harp.

Tong didn’t press her hard, Tyson said. He was pretty cool.” Tyson quoted Tong telling her, I’m just calling to see how you are. I support Toni. I’ve always supported you …”

In the end, Tyson abstained rather than vote to endorse either candidate.

Elicker: I’m Running For Mayor,” Not Town Chair

Elicker, at right, watches the delegate vote count.

The endorsed candidates have their names appear automatically on the Nov. 5 general election ballot — unless a challenger gathers enough signatures on petitions to force a Sept. 10 Democratic primary first.

A primary looms in the mayor’s race, where the campaign of Justin Elicker plans to dispatch a team to collect the signatures of close to 2,000 registered Democrats to get his name on the primary ballot. Elicker’s staging a rematch challenge to Harp, who beat him in the 2013 mayoral race.

Elicker and his supporters mostly sat to one side of the Career auditorium during the convention, remaining largely quiet. In 2013, Elicker received just four votes at the party convention.

The process is the process. I accept the outcome,” Elicker said of the convention vote.

In a subsequent press release, he is quoted stating that the Town Committee is dominated by a small group of political individuals, and is influenced heavily by the incumbent. The process is what it is and we accept the results. I’m not running for Town Committee Chair, I’m running for Mayor of New Haven.”

As of Thursday, Democratic Registrar Evans said the number of required signatures Elicker needs to make the primary ballot is 1,939, though that could change slightly. Elicker also plans to run as an unaffiliated candidate in the Nov. 5 general election.

Endorsed alders line up to complete paperwork with city clerk staffers Jessica Rios and Marisol Natal.

The City Clerk’s Office had staff on hand at Career to collect paperwork from all the endorsed candidates to make sure their names get on the ballot. There was a reason for this: In 2013, after Toni Harp won the party’s endorsement at the convention, party leaders neglected to return paperwork on time to the clerk’s office to get her name on the ballot. So her campaign had to end up collecting signatures anyway.

The alders endorsed for election Thursday night included Eli Sabin, Ward 1; Frank Douglass, Ward 2; Evelyn Rodriguez, Ward 4, Kampton Singh, Ward 5, Carmen Rodriguez, Ward 6; Abby Roth, Ward 7; Ellen Cupo, Ward 8; Charles Decker, Ward 9; Anna Festa, Ward 10; Renee Heywood, Ward 11; Gerald Antunes, Ward 12, Rosa Ferraro Santana, Ward 13; Wilda Garayua, Ward 14; Ernie Santiago, Ward 15; Jose Crespo, Ward 16; Jody Ortiz, Ward 17; Sal DeCola, Ward 18, Kim Edwards, Ward 19; Delphine Clyburn, Ward 20; Steven Winter, Ward 21; Jeanette Morrison, Ward 22; Tyisha Walker-Myers, Ward 23; Evette Hamilton, Ward 24; Adam Marchand, Ward 25; Darryl Brackeen, Ward 26; Richard Furlow, Ward 27; Jill Marks, Ward 28; Brian Wingate, Ward 29; Honda Smith, Ward 30. No one was endorsed for the Ward 3 seat.

Goldson’s Challenge

Board of Ed President Darnell Goldson and West Hills alder candidate Honda Smith watching the results come in.

The night’s biggest surprise came in the message that Board of Education candidate Darnell Goldson chose to send when he accepted the endorsement for his reelection bid.

He spoke about the upcoming elections in general, not just his. And he sent the message to both sides of contested races.

Short version: Play nice. Don’t be Trumpish.

I’m hoping that as the Democratic Party we remain as Democrats and not become like the other party,” Goldson said.

Then, without naming names, he referenced three attacks that have been leveled so far in the mayor’s race — the first two by the Elicker camp, the last one by the Harp camp.

His first example of Trump-like attacks: Accusing people of corruption when we know they’re not corrupt.”

Example two: Accusing people of poisoning kids when know they’re not poisoning kids.

That line drew applause from Harp supporters.

Example three: Accusing people of having a direct line to Trump when they don’t have a direct line to Trump.

That line drew no reaction.

Harp campaign manager Ed Corey …

… and Elicker campaign manager Gage Frank at the convention.

Click on the Facebook Live videos below to watch excerpts from the convention.

Harp arrives at the convention flanked by aide Andrea Scott and Michelle Rodriguez.

Thomas Breen Photo

Ward 10 Co-Chair Kenya Adams-Martin nominates Elicker for mayor.

Laura Glesby contributed.

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