Kermit Carolina urged voters to judge mayoral candidate Justin Elicker by his character, not by the color of his skin.
Carolina (at left in above photo, with Elicker), who ran against Elicker and two other candidates in the Sept. 10 Democratic mayoral primary, endorsed Elicker’s general-election campaign Tuesday at a 4 p.m. City Hall press conference.
“Judge not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character,” Carolina said, citing the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The endorsement represents the first major prize Elicker has sought since the launch of the mayoral general-election campaign.
State Sen. Toni Harp won the primary with about 50 percent of the vote. Elicker came in second in that primary, and is continuing his campaign as an independent candidate in the Nov. 5 general election.
Harp, an 11-term state senator, would become the city’s first African-American female mayor if she wins the Nov. 5 election. She solidly won all the majority-African American wards in the city, and 23 of 30 wards overall. Elicker, who is white, won seven majority-white wards; his camp knows it needs to broaden its racial base in the general election. Carolina, who is African-American and serves as principal of Hillhouse High School, targeted young and disaffected African-Americans.
Carolina was asked if his endorsement will help Elicker’s problem in securing support among minority neighborhoods.
Carolina said that Elicker had always sought to reach out to all voters, but the minority voters were siphoned off by other candidates. Carolina said he drew away African-American candidates; former candidate Henry Fernandez drew away Latino voters; and Harp drew away women.
“The only thing that was left to poor Justin was a lot of whites throughout the city,” Carolina said.
Heading into the general election, Carolina reasoned, “it’s wide open again.”
“The cards are reshuffled,” he said.
Elicker said Carolina’s endorsement sends a message, especially to those who don’t know him, that he can represent people of all races.
“Kermit’s endorsement indicates to people out there … more confidence that I will absolutely represent all the people of this city,” Elicker said.
Moving forward, the Carolina camp intends to make the case that the black community should “move beyond racial politics” in casting votes and that “new voices” should emerge from the black community in the political process to replace some of the figures associated with the Harp campaign such as the Rev. Boise Kimber.
At Tuesday’s event, Carolina (pictured) said he had received many calls asking him to endorse Harp. He said some callers asked, “Will you support Harp because she’s a black woman?” He said he was “insulted” at that request. “I’m more intelligent” than that, he said.
“Justin represents the vision that I felt was always needed in this city,” Carolina said.
He said he is supporting Elicker because they share a goal of running a “clean and diverse government.” Carolina and Elicker were the only two candidates to run campaigns using the Democracy Fund, which offers public grant money to candidates who swear off contributions from political action committees and agree to smaller donations.
In accepting the endorsement, Elicker said Carolina kept him “grounded” during the Democratic primary. “He never let any of us forget” the plight of families who face violence and poverty, and the fact “that too often, the quality of one’s opportunity depended on the color of one’s skin.”
Elicker vowed to put an end to pay-to-play politics, and “government that represents rich suburbanites” who pay into campaign coffers in exchange for future rewards.
Carolina vowed to knock on doors with Elicker and do whatever Elicker asks of him to support his campaign. Elicker said the two made no deal regarding future positions in an Elicker Administration. “The only deal that Kermit and I have made” is to work together to empower disenfranchised New Haveners.
Harp emailed the following statement in response to the endorsement: “Mr. Carolina received 8 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary last Tuesday. I will certainly be reaching out to all voters in New Haven between now and November including the 1,200 who voted for Mr. Carolina. I am confident they will make their own decision when they see the stark differences between Mr. Elicker and me particularly the considerable difference in experience.
Harp added, “I also think the vast majority of those voting in the Democratic primary will now support the Democratic candidate. Mr. Elicker is an independent who used the primary to get name recognition. I am confident Mr. Carolina’s supporters will stay with the Democratic Party.”
Kermit Carolina brought important issues to the table in the primary, and I am sure he will continue to do so on behalf of Justin Elicker's campaign. Given his employment by the city of New Haven and Harp's self-stated record on pay-to-play, I think Kermit Carolina has just become the bravest politician in New Haven. Go Kerm!