Thomas Breen Photo
Paul Garlinghouse submitting petitions last week at 200 Orange St.
A civil rights lawyer making his first run for office fell 22 signatures short of landing a spot on the Aug. 14 Democratic primary ballot.
Now the lawyer, Paul Garlinghouse, plans to return to the streets of New Haven’s east side to collect signatures again, in an attempt to have his name appear on the Nov. 8 general election ballot as an independent candidate.
Garlinghouse is seeking to challenge Democratic incumbent State Rep. Al Paolillo Jr. for the 97th General Assembly District seat. Garlinghouse doesn’t criticize Paolillo’s performance; rather he says he’s running to offer voters a choice and to pursue criminal-justice reforms as a state representatives. (Click here for a previous story about his candidacy and about Paolillo’s record in office.) Paolillo was unanimously endorsed for reelection by a district party convention.
Garlinghouse said he submitted petitions with about 300 signatures of registered Democratic voters from the 97th District to the Registrar of Voters office last week in his quest to make the Democratic primary ballot. He needed 290 verified signatures. But the office was able to validate only 268 signatures, according to paperwork it submitted this week to the City Clerk’s Office.
That’s actually a high percentage of valid signatures, but not enough to qualify. Challengers seeking ballot positions routinely seek a cushion of 25 percent or more extra signatures on petitions to allow for invalid names.
The 97th District encompasses the New Haven neighborhoods east of the Quinnipiac River, including Quinnipiac Meadows, Fair Haven Heights, the Annex, Morris Cove; as well as a sliver of Fair Haven itself, along the water and parts of Chatham Square.
“I learned that it is a lot of work to go out and reach people and explain how they can participate and really be part of their government. But it’s so worth it. When people opened the door and understood what we are doing, they were supportive,” Garlinghouse said Thursday.
He was on his way to the secretary of the state’s office to learn what he needs to do to get his name on the Nov. 6 ballot as an unaffiliated candidate. He said he plans to begin another round of petitioning.
“I think it’s a great time to be independent,” he said. “I met a lot of independent voters out there.”
Garlinghouse learned that the bar is far lower to make the ballot as an independent: He needs by Aug. 8 to submit petitions with the signatures of only 58 registered voters — of any party.
He might want to collect 100 to be sure.
