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The November elections are less than three months away, but voters in at least two central Connecticut communities will be going to the polls next month to settle uncommonly bitter primary contests.
A full slate of challenge candidates in Bloomfield is running against the Democratic Town Committee-endorsed slate, hoping to wrest control of local government from Mayor Danielle Wong’s controversial administration.
The challengers include two former mayors and former Councilor Rickford Kirton, who is suing Wong and the council over the most recent budget and who is also pursuing a Freedom of Information complaint claiming her administration violated FOI rules to launch a political attack against him.
And in New Britain, Democratic Alderman Neil Connors is waging a primary after a literally bruising party endorsement gathering last month. The party chose fellow incumbent John McNamara and newcomer Iris Ortiz Luna instead of Connors; moments later, Connors’ wife was hit from behind by a young relative of Ortiz Luna’s.
Party leadership didn’t say why it chose Ortiz Luna over Connors that night, but committee members say Connors’ wife insulted Ortiz Luna for running in a previous election on the GOP ticket.
“After what happened to my wife, this race has become deeply personal. This is no longer just about a nomination — it’s about whether our party protects the people who show up, or punishes them for speaking up,” Connors said in an email.
In both Bloomfield and New Britain, Democratic voters will vote Sept. 9 to choose candidates for the Nov. 4 general election. The town committees in each community have chosen the people they want to run on the Democratic ticket, but voters in the primary get the final decision.
Republicans and Democrats in the vast majority of Connecticut towns have no primary challengers this year. The secretary of the state’s office said Wednesday that it will be another week before staff knows precisely how many town and cities will conduct September primaries, but it’s expected to be only a small number.
For Bloomfield, the primary outcome could prove to be more important than the general election, since Democrats traditionally dominate in November. If that pattern holds true this year, the key question will be which Democrats survive Sept. 9 and get their names on the November ballot.
New Britain’s contest could also be significant. Popular Republican Mayor Erin Stewart isn’t running for re-election, so that mayor’s seat almost certainly will go to either Democrat Bobby Sanchez or Republican Sharon Beloin-Saavedra.
The winner will want control of the Common Council, which is currently split in favor of Democrats by the narrowest of margins: 8-7. Connors holds one of those eight seats; by not endorsing him, Democrats relinquished the usual advantage of an incumbent in the November election.
The challenging candidates in both communities circulated petitions to get enough signatures to force primaries.
The Bloomfield race is the latest stage of an intra-party battle that’s been going on for the past couple of years. Kirton along with other Democratic dissidents has complained that Wong’s administration is overspending and underperforming, and they blame her for what they call a secretive and tone-deaf atmosphere in city government.
Wong and her close political ally Councilor Kenneth McClary have already said they’re not running again, and Wong recently announced she’s resign later this month. The council’s Democratic majority will choose an interim mayor to serve out the term.
The Democratic Town Committee has nominated a slate that’s running with the theme “One Bloomfield Moving Forward, Together.” The council ticket includes incumbents Ola Aina, Todd Cooper, Cindi Lloyd and Anthony Harrington along with newcomers Michael Oliver and Darrell Goodwin.
Their supporters contend that critics ignore the Wong administration’s achievements and focus on fostering division rather than community unity.
The challenge slate for council, using the motto “Leadership You Can Trust,” consists of Kirton, former mayors Suzette Debeatham-Brown and Sydney Schulman, and Mark Sanderson and Stephan Richmond.
In New Britain, Ward 4 Democrats will get to choose two candidates among Connors, McNamara and Ortiz Luna.
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