Update: ​“Unity” Postponed

Fix was in from Sen. Looney and Vinnie Mauro, triggered by Harp trying to spread the stink of the tax increase onto the State.

Can't have that!

Harp should run, free of the Democratic Party. We often see on these pages criticisms of the Yale unions as having membership primarily in the suburbs.

There is no greater organized force for the suburbs in Connecticut than the Democratic Party

Alex,

Saying the 'fix was in' does nothing but denigrate the voters who actually decided this election!

What a sad way to finish one's political career. And what an awkward position for Working Families to be in.

Harp will bow out tomorrow or Friday.

The resounding defeat came as a complete shock to me, and I had very little skin in the game. Mayor Harp must still be reeling, and I feel for her.

At this point she is getting sympathetic phone calls from friends and long-time allies, both cheerful but also nurturing her towards doing what she needs to do next— which is to bow out gracefully. In the meantime thanks to Mayor Harp for her many years of service to New Haven.

Now you show up Ned!!!!
If it was not for Mayor Harp you would be in Greenwich making $$ instead of bad policy.

As far as Mayor Harp not helping certain neighborhoods, I believe the Alders need to take most of the blame.

Just saying, now lets all get along with the Back Stabbers, if you go to this event they will smile in your face,
The Back Stabbers.

Get ready Elicker , they are going to want their due!!!!

Over 7,000 voters participated in a conspiracy orchestrated by Martin Looney and Vinnie Mauro? These are both decent men. Please walk me through how they did this?

Alex,

The "fix was in" as evidenced by the low, low, low voter turnout in several wards critical to the Harp campaign. Large number of voters voted with their absence. Why can't you accept that New Haven residents wanted a change of policy and direction?

John Champion

Bill Saunders for Rock & Roll Czar
Alfred E. Newman for President
Hunter S. Thompson for Sheriff

Hartmann,

I stand by all three of those nominations!!!!

Is this the same Justin Elicker who arranged to be on the November ballot as an independent in case he lost the Democratic primary?

Low voter turnout doesn't mean people want change. It probably means people didn't know there was an election. Elections take resources and commitment and the DTC & DSCC & Unions failed to commit to Harp. You can fake outrage at that fact being pointed out but it is what it is.

HenryCT,

As did Mayor Harp, so you're point....?

What's the big need for unity exactly? There's no Republican running.

Utter bulll$h@t. Elicker won. Let him lead and fix all of the issues he identified. We will be here to watch and don't think we won't be all over his a$$ until he succeeds.

These two swooping into town for a "unity" rally is wholly patronizing and downright dumb. Thank God the GOP is so abhorrent. Without that, Democrats could not get away with taking black folks for granted with these dumb stunts.

Alex,

I think the need for Unity in the Community is the most pressing thing going right now.

@ Alex — you sound like Harp in that the buck doesn't stop anywhere with you guys.

Harp wasn't an awful Mayor, but she wasn't a great Mayor either. (Did she ever really want the job?) Her loss isn't the fault of the Unions, DTC, Martin Looney, Ned Lamont, Vincent Mauro or anyone else forced to operate in political reality. The public was losing faith with Toni, and except at the very end, she didn't work hard enough to restore it.

Anyway, now that it's over there is a choice to be made. Join together while passing the baton, (and savor the past six years), — or come across as a bitter loser. Mayor Harp is going to make the right choice. I hope you will too.

@ Alex-- people who are unaware of their civic DUTY are derelict in their responsibilities as citizens. Some chose not to vote to make a statement, as some folks tell me. I say it is laziness, and if that is what they will bring to the table, it is probably better that they don't cast uninformed votes.

And remember, as readers often tell me; you can always vote with your feet and leave NH if you find it too distasteful. You would not be alone in your disgust at the state of our city. I like to think that things will get better with a fresh , new administration. Hope I'm not wrong!

Ned and Susan can't be bothered to provide New Haven with adequate school funding, but given a chance to stifle the democratic process, they're right on top of it....

Can't wait to get rid of them.

Who cares what Ned Lamont or Susan B. thinks about our mayoral race?

What have they done for New Haven lately, or ever?

IF Ned Lamont actually cared about NEW HAVEN he would make sure that he fulfilled the full promise of PILOT funds. If new Haven could tax all of its properties it could be as self sufficient as many of the wealthier suburban towns. If the suburban towns took care of their own homeless, their own all day pre K and special needs programs, their own addiction issues, their own food scarcity New Haven would be better positioned to take care of its own issues. Who ever is mayor in NEW Haven is and will continue to work twice as hard with half as much with many critiques who only show up for photo opps..Suzanne stay home you have been failing NEW HAVEN for years...

HenryCT: Yes, Elicker explicitly stated that he would continue to run even if he lost the primary. He has no moral standing to say that Harp should recognize the results of the primary. It's pretty absurd of him to participate in a "Unity " rally, and of Lamont and SuBy to support him. Nonetheless, one must ask, what is the point of Harp continuing? The primary wasn't close, and there is little reason to think that she would have more support in the general than she did in the primary. Her campaign manager, Ed Corey, said that she would now concentrate on the transition. Do you think she would be more popular with unaffiliated and Republican voters than she is with Democrats? Are there vast numbers of WFP and Green Pary voters who will support her in the general? Enough to overcome her gap? Elicker has over $100K set aside for the general, she has little, and, as a loser, has little ability to raise more. What would continuing do but further the humiliation?

Please tell me this doesn't mean Team Harp isn't going to further polarize New Haven along racial lines by waging a last-ditch effort this fall?

tell Lamont to stay in Hartford until they can provide the PILOT funds they owe us. That's how he can help. I have no need to see him in New Haven showing support for a candidate that he didn't support.

The machine won't go easily. People don't give up power easily. Sometimes you need to wrestle it it away.

I'm going to say a few things that many might find distasteful, but the truth often is bittersweet.

Elicker won the primary.
Mayor Harp has done many things for the city.
There is a distasteful divide in New Haven.
Lamont is the govenor.
Low income housing needs to be addressed.
City debt is a difficult issue to solve.
Infrastruture is in need of desperate repair.
Yale acts as a seperate entity.
Racism continues to be a blight on humanity.

So I ask, "What are we going to do about it?"

Do we continue to live our lives like nothing needs to change? Or do we finally decide to take a step out of our own heads to work together?

I throw down the gauntlet to challenge each and every one of you who wants to work to solve these issues to move forward.

I'm a single person fighting hard, who has made a difference. Think of what we can do together.

This is no sales pitch. I only want what's best for New Haven.

Be good to eachother.

We Can't Make It - We have a Closed Door Meeting Scheduled!!!!!

That Unity Rally was an ill-informed power move by novices and people who have NO RESPECT for the mayor and her career of giving to this city for over 30 years.So Elicker wants unity? This was so telling. He accepted that rally like any privileged white male would. How dare any of you try and roll Mayor Harp like that! She is a beloved public servant who will go down in HERstory. Lamont needs to pay for that disrespect of Mayor Toni Harp and think about his re-election. Does he think that this potential change in leadership of this city could deliver New Haven like he would need to win like all the rest of the past gubernatorial races....I don't think so.
Disrespect does not go untouched.

Dennis: Power flows to power. Right now, Elicker is in the catbird seat. Lamont & SuBy want to ride on his coattails (how's that for mixing metaphors!) by appearing with him. UNITE-HERE is happy to meet with him, and work with him. The Alders and others who clung to Harp because she had power, and control over jobs and contracts, will coalesce around Elicker. I expect Harp is still in shock, and more so as she makes calls to former supporters only to find they have no permanent friends, only permanent interests. There may be a few dead-enders like Alex, but not enough to justify a run. Still, I think of Babe Ruth's season with the Boston Braves. It can be hard to let go.

While Alex may realize the election is over, Harp has yet to do so. Friday, she posted a "Vote for Harp" graphic on her Facebook page, touting the rise in high school graduation rates. Elicker said he will be in "full campaign" mode unless Harp formally withdraws. Rather than suffer a worse defeat, she should do what Corey said she would, concentrate on running the city and ensuring a good transition.

The primary is over. The general election is November 5. The mayor has every right to take it there if she wants.

Alex: Of course she has every right, but I am confused about your position. You said:

posted by: alex on September 13, 2019 5:54pm

LoveNH,

The election is over. ....
https://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/lead_law/

If Harp is contesting the general, the election is most certainly not over, so I am puzzled as to why you said it was.

I don't know what came over me...you're right, it's not over yet!