81, Gerry! 81!”

In a formal endorsement Monday, a diverse group of New Haven politicos united to help launch a former hometown alderman to Hartford.

Gerry Garcia, who once represented East Rock’s Ward 9, is seeking the Democratic nomination for secretary of the state. Mayor John DeStefano and Democratic Town Chairwoman Susie Voigt gave him their official endorsement at a press event Monday, following an informal nod a couple weeks ago.

The event drew several dozen local politicos and Latino leaders to the second-floor atrium of City Hall Monday, just after the official close of business at 5 p.m. The group cut across factions of New Haven’s political landscape.

Garcia is seeking the Democratic nod at a party convention in May. New Haven has 81 delegates, the largest bloc of any town. Garcia faces four Democratic opponents; DeStefano pledged to deliver all of New Haven’s delegates to the hometown candidate.

81, Gerry! 81, Gerry!” the mayor chanted Monday afternoon.

Garcia and his supporters echoed the chant. (Click on the play arrow to watch a snippet.)

DeStefano said he’s known Garcia for nearly 15 years, since the candidate started his political career on the Board of Aldermen. Garcia represented East Rock’s Ward 9 for three terms, from 1996 to 2001. DeStefano praised Garcia for supporting a living wage ordinance and fighting alcohol and tobacco advertising near schools. He said he’d seen firsthand how Garcia operates.

He has shown up. He has shown up with character, and with good temperament, the ability to build teams and to get things done,” the mayor said. That he happens to come from New Haven is just an added attraction.”

As Connecticut’s top elections official, the secretary of the state is in charge of voter registration, elections, and registration of businesses with the government. DeStefano said Garcia’s experience in the private sector, as a former New York investment banker, would help build the strength and well-being of this state.”

Statewide candidates right now are seeking support from likely delegates to the May 24 Democratic State Convention. To get on the ballot, a candidate needs 15 percent of the delegate support. Whoever has the most delegate support becomes the party nominee going into the convention.

Full support from New Haven would send a candidate well on his way to the 15 percent mark. New Haven has 4.4 percent of the 1,831 delegates at the convention this year. That’s a slight increase from four years ago, when New Haven had 69 of a total 1,607 delegates, or 4.3 percent. Delegates were reapportioned based on voter turnout to President Obama’s general election.

Garcia faces two main opponents who are better-known and better-connected: state House Majority Leader Denise Merrill of Mansfield and State Sen. Jonathan Harris of West Hartford. Garcia has said if he doesn’t win the party’s nod, he’ll still enter the primary.

DeStefano pledged not only to send Garcia New Haven’s 81 delegates, but to deliver a huge plurality” of the vote to Garcia if there’s a primary.

Garcia, who’s half Puerto Rican, would be the first Latino secretary of the state. He drew significant support Monday from local Latinos, including state Rep. Juan Candelaria, Aldermen Joey Rodriguez and Jorge Perez, DTC vice chair Norma Reyes-Rodriguez, former aldermanic President Tomas Reyes, politically active preachers, and a representative from the Ecuadorian consulate. A crew of city workers, including mayoral Chief of Staff Sean Matteson and Superintendent of Schools Reggie Mayo, took a break from work to attend the event as well. So did state Rep. Gary Holder-Winfield and a variety of aldermen, including Katrina Jones, Marcus Paca, Charles Blango, Roland Lemar, and Andrea Jackson-Brooks.

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