http://www.nhregister.com/connecticut/article/New-Haven-s-Board-of-Alders-races-feature-11343913.php
New Haven’s Board of Alders races feature challengers and upcoming primary
Democratic primary is Sept. 16
Published 5:57 pm, Saturday, August 22, 2015
NEW HAVEN >> Eight aldermanic seats are contested this year, and while a majority of those races will be determined after a Democratic primary next month, three Republican candidates have added their names to the mix this summer, hoping to become the first GOP representatives on the board since 2011.
Democratic Town Committee Chairman Vincent Mauro said it’s been a quiet election year. With major races such as Mayor Toni Harp’s re-election all but locked up, there hasn’t been too much noise in the overwhelmingly Democratic city. But there are still eight races left to be decided through a primary set for Sept. 16.
“These are very localized elections, very neighborhood-driven,” Mauro said. “In years past, they have been coordinated efforts. This seems neighborhood based. What you see is ... people running solely on issues pertaining to that particular neighborhood.”
The primary will decide who earns the party’s nomination for wards 1, 11, 12, 14, 18, 20, 28 and 30. Nominees were chosen during the party’s convention on July 22.
Barbara Ann Constantinople, D-11, is among three incumbent alderman facing two competitors for her seat. Constantinople, the Democrats’ endorsed candidate, will need to fend off fellow Democrat Robert Lee and Republican-endorsed challenger Ronnie Codianni. Incumbent Salvatore E. DeCola, D-18, earned his party’s nomination last month but also is facing a pair of challengers. Fellow Democrat Robert P. Proto is looking to snatch up the east district seat, while Republican-endorsed Lisa Milone also is seeking the spot.
Out in the Yale-focused Ward 1, incumbent Democrat Sarah Eidelson, D-1, is being challenged by Fortney “Fish” H. Stark, while Republican Ugonna Eze earned his party’s nomination for the candidacy in July.
Other incumbents seeking re-election in contested seats include Richard Spears, D-12; Santiago Berrios-Bones, D-14; Delphine Clyburn, D-20; Claudette Robinson-Thorpe, D-28; and Carlton Staggers, D-30.
Spears and Robinson-Thorpe did not earn their party’s endorsement, losing out to challengers Gerald M. Antunes and Jill Lila Marks, respectively. Berrios-Bones didn’t get his party’s endorsement, but neither did his challenger, Thomas P. Burwell. Clyburn’s challenger is Teresa A. Hines, while Staggers’ is Robert J. Anderson.
Republican Town Committee Chairman Richter Elser said the party’s slate includes candidates who are active in the communities they seek to represent. The party is hoping to earn its first seat on the board since Arlene DePino decided not run for re-election in 2011 after serving for more than a decade.
“We have not had very many candidates running for office just because there are so little Republicans in the city,” Elser said.
Elser said some Republicans even register as Democrats to ensure participation in that party’s primary. The blue party’s numbers speak for themselves: According to the latest numbers provided by the Registrar of Voters, nearly 70 percent of the 68,555 registered voters — 47,317 people — are registered Democrats. Just 3 percent are registered Republicans, while 26 percent are unaffiliated voters.
This year, the 30-member Board of Alders saw a big change when Gov. Dannel P. Malloy appointed longtime aldermanic President Jorge Perez, D-5, to serve as state banking commissioner. Former President Pro Tempore Tyisha Walker, D-23, was then chosen as president.
Among the most hotly contest races is in Fair Haven, where incumbent Berrios-Bones is facing competition from Burwell. Mauro said neither man earned the party’s endorsement due to an snafu in the list of ward committee members; Mauro said both candidates had different lists. Instead of giving an endorsement, Mauro said the fairest thing to do was allow a candidate to be chosen through the primary process.
Berrios-Bones said he’s fine with having a primary to chose the party candidate, as it gives his campaign a more direct approach.
“I decided to take my campaign message directly to the voters,” Berrios-Bones said.
Focusing on public safety and employment, Berrios-Bones said he wants more police walking the beat in his ward and more patrolling. Finding good jobs for residents will involve pushing larger employers in the city, including Yale-New Haven Hospital and Yale University, to hire residents, he said.
“They are the largest employer in New Haven,” Berrios-Bones said. “It’s good for them to hire people from New Haven. It only makes sense for them to hire people from New Haven.”
His work in the Human Service Committee has helped earn more federal funding, Berrios-Bones said, as he’s supervised the distribution of federal funds for several local organizations.
Burwell, who filed a complaint with the state Election Enforcement Commission due to the ward list mishap, isn’t letting the misstep curb his spirits. Calling himself a community activist, Burwell doesn’t have public service experience, but is a board member at Community Action Agency in New Haven.
“I decided to run because I feel I am the best candidate for the position,” Burwell said. “I am the most active in the neighborhood. I want to see some good things done.”
Burwell wants to improve communication between City Hall and elected officials. One of the ways he envisions improvement is by pushing for more social media presence from local officials.
“I just think basic communication will allow me to represent folks better and give them a more clear understanding of the way their city government works,” Burwell said.
Beaver Hills Alder Robinson-Thorpe said she knew the race was going to be challenging, even before she was unable to secure her party’s nomination. This is the second time in her six-year tenure as an alder that she’s been challenged, she said. One of the biggest reasons for seeking re-election is overseeing the completion of several community projects, including renovations at Bowen Field and the completion of a teen center set for construction in her ward. She also want to address blight issues in the future, as well as other quality of life issues she said her ward faces.
“I can continue to keep my community first,” Robinson-Thorpe said.
Marks, Robinson-Thorpe’s challenger, said she doesn’t have any experience serving in public office, but she’s been heavily involved with the community for the past 10 years. She’s also worked for several Democratic campaigns.
“What I would like to see is that my ward has better leadership, of someone who is going to represent the people,” Marks said, adding that she wants to become a dedicated voice for her ward. Bringing more unity in the ward is a chief initiative for Marks, who added that public safety is another concern for people in her district. She hopes to address these concerns by engaging in more direct contact with city police.
Elser said the “rejuvenated” Yale College Republicans are mounting a good campaign for Eze, a senior at Yale who is planning to stay in the city after his expected graduation in May. While Eze has no experience in public office, he regularly volunteers at his church, which he said is an activity helping shape his goal of breaking down barriers between the university and the city. His campaign team is a bipartisan effort, he said, with both Democrats and Republicans working to help him get elected.
“I think the most important thins is that I want to change the political culture in Ward 1,” Eze said. “I think many Yale students and many residents in Ward 1 have a misconception that the city and Yale are two separate entities. That’s false. This city is our home. New Haven’s problems are our problems.”
Stark, son of former California U.S. Rep. Pete Stark, also is a political newcomer, though he’s worked on Democratic campaigns before.
Stark said running has nothing to do with family — his father served in a northern California district for more than 40 years — but about the connections he’s built in the city. Working as a teacher in the city the past two summers, teaching middle and high school students with Squash Haven in 2014 and at Calvin Hill Daycare Center this year, has given some added perspective on the kind of work in which Yale students can engage in their community. Adding more stipend programs is among his initiatives.
“I love New Haven and I want to make a difference,” Stark said. “We are hoping to advocate for Yale to increase its number of paid service fellowships.”
The two current Yale students are hoping to unseat university alumna Eidelson, who has served two terms as alder and is chairwoman of the board’s Youth Service Committee. Her notable accomplishments at the helm of the committee include developing a youth services map providing resources and support for city residents and their families. She also helped oversee the first election for student representatives to serve on the Board of Education.
“I think that my constituents really want to be part of a New Haven that is strong and vibrant overall,” Eidelson said. “I think that our city has a lot of strengths, but we also face some pretty big challenges.”
The Democratic primary takes place Sept. 16. The general elections take place Nov. 3.
Reach Esteban L. Hernandez at 203-680-9901.
