Principal Punzo Suits Up For Alder Run

Retired former New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) principal and teacher Salvatore Punzo has a new public service job on the horizon: Annex alder.

Punzo, 76, is the only candidate so far running to represent Ward 17 on the Board of Alders.

He recently filed with the City Clerk’s office to run as a Democrat for the spot, which is currently occupied by Jody Ortiz.

And on Tuesday night, Punzo won the Democratic Town Committee’s unanimous endorsement for the Ward 17 alder role during the party’s convention at the Betsy Ross Parish House on Kimberly Avenue. Ortiz, who did not respond to a request for comment by the publication time of this article, has not filed for reelection for another two-year term.

A lifelong New Havener, Punzo worked as a teacher and a principal for the city’s public school system for 49 years. He spent 17 years as the principal of East Rock School, and another decade-plus as a consultant for Nathan Hale School. He retired from his East Rock School leadership job in 2004.

“The alder is retiring, so I’ve decided to try something new,” Punzo said about why he’s thrown his hat into the ring. ​“I’m excited. I’m gonna listen and see where the need is,” and shape his priorities as alder around what he hears from his Annex neighbors.

Born in Fair Haven, Punzo moved to the Annex in the third grade. He’s spent the lion’s share of his life living on Oakley Street. As a public school student, he attended Woodward School, Fair Haven Junior High, and Wilbur Cross High School.

A New Haven Register article about Punzo’s retirement in 2004 remarked upon his famous work ethic — getting to school by 4:30 a.m. to take telephone calls, working on weekends, missing only three days of school in his 17 years on the job as principal.

At Tuesday’s convention, former local Democratic Party leader and former Hill Alder Jackie James smiled with delight upon hearing that Punzo is slated to join the Board of Alders if elected in November. He is currently running unopposed.

Punzo was her fourth grade teacher at Hill Central, she said. ​“He was excited, committed,” she said. ​“He’s a great guy.”

Who Else Is Running For Alder?

Also on Tuesday night, the Democratic Town Committee certified a list of endorsed alder candidates for all 30 wards in the city. Below is the list of endorsed Democratic candidates, followed by a list of Democratic, Republican, and (in one ward) Green Party challengers.

Endorsed Democratic Alder Candidates

Ward 1: Alex Guzhnay
Ward 2: Frank Douglass (incumbent)
Ward 3: Ron Hurt (incumbent)
Ward 4: Evelyn Rodriguez (incumbent)
Ward 5: Kampton Singh (incumbent)
Ward 6: Carmen Rodriguez (incumbent)
Ward 7: Eli Sabin
Ward 8: Ellen Cupo (incumbent)
Ward 9: Charles Decker (incumbent)
Ward 10: Anna Festa (incumbent)
Ward 11: Renee Haywood (incumbent)
Ward 12: Gerald Antunes (incumbent)
Ward 13: Rosa Ferraro-Santana (incumbent)
Ward 14: Sarah Miller
Ward 15: Ernie Santiago (incumbent)
Ward 16: José Crespo (incumbent)
Ward 17: Salvatore Punzo
Ward 18: Salvatore DeCola (incumbent)
Ward 19: Kimberly Edwards (incumbent)
Ward 20: Shirley Lawrence
Ward 21: Steve Winter (incumbent)
Ward 22: Jeanette Morrison (incumbent)
Ward 23: Tyisha Walker-Myers (incumbent)
Ward 24: Evette Hamilton (incumbent)
Ward 25: Adam Marchand (incumbent)
Ward 26: Darryl Brackeen Jr. (incumbent)
Ward 27: Richard Furlow (incumbent)
Ward 28: Shafiq Abdussabur
Ward 29: Brian Wingate (incumbent)
Ward 30: Honda Smith (incumbent)

Democratic Alder Candidate Challengers

Ward 11: Kurtis Kearney
Ward 11: Ira Johnson
Ward 11: Robert Lee
Ward 11: Patrick Myrthil
Ward 12: Yul Watley
Ward 20: Devin Avshalom-Smith
Ward 20: Addie Kimbrough

Republican Alder Candidate Challengers

Ward 11: Gail Roundtree
Ward 13: Deborah Reyes
Ward 26: Joshua Van Hoesen

Green Party Candidate Challengers

Ward 13: Patricia Kane