In The Cove,
No Endorsement

Neither of the two candidates who have declared that they intend to run against New Haven’s only Republican alderman received the endorsement of the Ward 18 Democratic Committee Monday night, despite the wishes of most of the ward committee members present who wanted to endorse Sal DeCola.

DeCola, a retired licensed electrician, and Sarah Saiano, a research assistant in Yale’s psychiatry department, will face each other in a Sept. 13 primary for the right to run in the general election against incumbent Arlene DePino, who has represented Morris Cove for four terms. 

Under Democratic party rules, Ward 18 co-chairs Susan Campion and Matt Bailey can recommend a particular candidate to the overall town committee or, as they did Monday night, recommend that the committee not endorse at all. The Democratic Town Committee meets Tuesday night to select a slate of candidates for the 30-member Board of Aldermen, for mayor and for city/town clerk. 

Campion began the meeting in the Nathan Hale School by announcing that she and co-chair Bailey had decided not to endorse either Saiano, who announced her candidacy several weeks ago, or DeCola who took up the mantle after long-time committee member Nicholas Colavolpe decided against running.

Campion said she and Bailey decided not to endorse so the two candidates would have ​“an open playing field” in campaigning and in trying ​“to get their message across.”

“We would prefer to leave it up to the voters,” Campion said.

Many of the 27 people who attended the meeting would have preferred to endorse a candidate and have that candidate be DeCola. ​“We’ve always had one candidate and we backed that person,” said Nicholas Colavolpe, who decided relatively late in the game not to run. ​“It shows unity in the ward.”

His wife, Janet Colavolpe, who is also a committee member, said the candidate should be DeCola, even though she admitted she didn’t know much about him until he started talking about running for alderman. ​“He came to meetings and he proved himself,” she said.

A non-binding straw vote indicated that most committee members present shared the Colavolpes’ sentiments. Of the 21 committee members voting, 12 voted for DeCola, four voted for Saiano, and five voted to withhold an endorsement — one of the ballot choices. Campion said the straw vote ​“gives both Sarah and Sal an idea where they stand.”

Asked about the outcome after the meeting, Saiano said ​“it’s always nice to get more votes”; still, the result ​“is not a shock.” Saiano, an executive board member for UNITE HERE Local 34, a 3,200-member union which represents Yale clerical and technical workers, said, ​“I know I’m seen an outsider.” (For more on Saiano’s candidacy, click here.)

Both Colavolpes said Campion had prepared them for what was going to happen at Monday’s meeting.

In a similar non-binding vote for mayor, 10 committee members supported Mayor John DeStefano, while eight supported one of his challengers, social worker and activist Jeffrey Kerekes. Three other candidates’ names appeared on the informal ballot, but none of them received any votes. There were two abstentions.

Both Saiano and DeCola need to get the signatures of 65 registered Democrats in order to run in the Sept. 13 primary. The winner will face DePino, who announced her reelection bid Thursday night during the Republican town committee convention. She received the town committee’s endorsement.

Although registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans by 4‑to‑1 in Ward 18, Morris Cove is still one of last remaining Republican enclaves in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans 18-to‑1.

Democratic co-chair Campion acknowledged that DePino, who is running for her fifth term, will be a strong opponent. Campion said the Ward 18 Democratic Committee would unite around the nominee and back him or her strongly in the general election. Running in a primary without a party endorsement would make both candidates better campaigners, she said.

“I think this is going to be one of the most critical elections in our city’s history,” Campion said. ​“We face challenges in terms of finances, public safety and the schools.”