Elicker defeats Harp in New Haven mayoral primary

New Haven, Connecticut - Tuesday, September 10, 2019: New Haven Democratic Primary mayoral candidate Justin Elicker with his daughter Moly, 4, Tuesday night celebrating victory over incumbent Mayor Toni Harp at the Trinity Bar & Grill in New Haven. less New Haven, Connecticut - Tuesday, September 10, 2019: New Haven Democratic Primary mayoral candidate Justin Elicker with his daughter Moly, 4, Tuesday night celebrating victory over incumbent Mayor Toni Harp at ... more Photo: Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media Photo: Peter Hvizdak / Hearst Connecticut Media Image 1 of / 50 Caption Close Elicker defeats Harp in New Haven mayoral primary 1 / 50 Back to Gallery

NEW HAVEN — Justin Elicker, who waited six years for a second shot at winning the mayoralty, beat three-term Mayor Toni Harp in the Democratic Party primary Tuesday.

It was a combination of a well-organized campaign, successful fundraising, residents upset with a tax increase, a controversial superintendent of schools, lawsuits and a federal investigation into spending by the Youth Services Department that turned the tide for Elicker, a onetime alder and former director of the New Haven Land Trust.

The Elicker campaign made the announcement just before 8:30 p.m. based on its ward-by-ward count. Elicker got some 6,900 votes to 4,500 for Harp, Gage Frank, Elicker’s campaign manager, said.

The final count was a 58.3 percent win for Elicker to 41.71 percent for Harp. Elicker beat her by 2,045 votes.

While the 30th Ward had not yet reported, the count would not have impacted the results due to low voter turnout in those neighborhoods, Frank said. Neither could absentee ballots, more than 700 of which remained uncounted at the time the campaign announced Elicker’s win.

At 9:05 p.m., Harp entered 50 Fitch St. lounge, where her supporters had gathered.

“Just about 15 minutes ago I called Justin Elicker and I conceded this race,” she said. She thanked her supporters, who had “worn out your shoes, knocked on doors and made telephone calls, believing in our administration and what we’ve stood for.”

Harp said New Haven is and would continue to be a city where “people from different cultures, different races … no matter where you come from, no matter how rich or how poor” can make a difference.

Asked whether she would still compete in the general election on the Working Families Party line, Harp said, “I’ll let you know.” She then silently left the bar.

Several people said she is not expected to run in November.

Elicker would appear to have the edge in the general election, given his showing in 2013 against Harp and Tuesday’s victory. The loss is also is a setback for the Yale University unions who have consistently backed Harp and worked to get out the vote for her.

Elicker’s 2019 campaign marked the most serious challenge to Harp, an elected Democratic official for 32 years, which included three terms as New Haven alder from the Dwight neighborhood that started in 1987, a 20-year career as a leader in the state Senate from the 10th District, and six years as mayor come Jan. 1.

She had never lost an election.

In the general election, Elicker will face two other candidates: Wendy Hamilton and Urn Pendragon.

As Elicker addressed the packed room, someone yelled out, “that guy is gonna be the mayor!” The shout was met with cheers.

Elicker gave his thanks to those who made his campaign possible, including team members — who “donated so much time to this effort” — as well as people like former police Assistant Chief Luiz Casanova, who he said took a risk in supporting him.

He also thanked those who donated to his campaign.

“There are so many people who donated to this campaign. Big donor — meaning $390 only — small donors.” His reference to the $390 cap on campaign donations, an issue that was a sticking point during his debate with Harp, was met with laughter.

Elicker said he is excited to work with everyone in the city “who is ready to move it forward.”

Justin Elicker told the crowd of supporters pressed tightly together at the Trinity Bar and Restaurant that it was important to reach out to the voters on the other side in the primary.

He said he was "excited to work with the alders, the state delegation, Unite HERE and every single person in the city who is interested in moving it forward."

He said the important thing was answering the needs of all the people who shared their concerns with the campaign.

Elicker said he wants to join with all those who "believe in a government that is accessible ... to everyone, a government that is honest and ethical, a government that implements smart policies" and invests in communities that are struggling.

Voting was steady, but not above average throughout the day Tuesday as both camps kept an eye on the number of people going to the polls. There were only four wards with aldermanic contests, which usually increases turnout.

Those contests were between incumbent Rosa Ferraro-Santana and challenger Raymond Wallace in Ward 13; incumbent Ron Hurt and Maria Rodriguez in Ward 3; Kampton Singh and Germano Kimbro in Ward 5; and incumbent Steven Winter versus two challengers — Anais Nunez and Maceo T. Streater — in Ward 21.

Ferraro-Santana, Hurt, Singh and Winter all took home wins Tuesday.

The city’s 50th mayor, Harp was the first woman and the second African American to hold that office.

Harp ran her campaign by emphasizing a long list of accomplishments in New Haven, particularly the expanding number of software and high-tech startups, a booming entertainment district downtown, record-low crime rates and increasing high school graduation rates.

But an 11 percent hike in the tax rate last year was a big factor in explaining a drop in support this year, as well as public disputes among school board members. There has been open talk about dismissing a controversial superintendent of schools, Carol Birks, who was Harp’s choice, but the mayor has said it was too expensive to buy out Birks’ contract.

The FBI is also looking into the Youth Services Department and how it spent federal grant money with Elicker promising a transparent ethical government in New Haven.

He has filed two complaints with the State Elections Enforcement Commission, one charging that close to $100,000 in campaign donations to Harp’s 2017 campaign failed to divulge who the donors were. The second involved about $5,700 more in mystery donors in this year’s campaign. The campaign has promised to release the names of donors, but has not done so to date.

Elicker, despite participating in the New Haven Democracy Fund, which caps individual donations at $390, had raised $301,208 to the $226,398 donated to Harp by Sept. 1. Her donors could give up to $1,000 each.

The city has lost multiple court cases on its handling of the lead-abatement ordinance protecting children under 6 who have been lead poisoned. The mayor had supported a change that would have lowered the standard at which an apartment was inspected, but she has since dropped that. A hearing on a revised ordinance is set for Thursday.

The mayor has a deteriorated relationship with the state delegation after funds were cut — although they will say she was warned to adjust her budget. Four of the six delegation members have stayed neutral in the primary.

Vincent Mauro, Democratic town chairman, said Tuesday “was a thorough city victory. There were wins in just about every neighborhood in the city. It was a good campaign and Justin worked hard.”

“Today is the day to turn the page on what happens in the city, but not forgetting the 30 years of service that the mayor gave not only to the city of New Haven but to the state of Connecticut. She should be applauded for that,” Mauro said.

Alyson Heimer, administrator for the Democracy Fund, said Elicker qualifies for a $20,000 grant for the general election that will be voted on by the fund’s board on Sept. 18. She said he can roll over funds not spent in the primary to the general election.

Voters share their views

At polling places across the city, Harp and Elicker supporters alike spoke about what motivated them to come out to cast their ballots.

“I’m doing it (voting) because a lot of changes need to be done,” said voter Charles Wooten, who said he’d lived in the city for 55 years.

Patrick Heenan, a teacher at Christopher Columbus Family Academy who lives in Ward 14, voted for Elicker because he thought it was time for a change, he said, adding that the schools were one of his top issues in this election.

The overall leadership in the school system could use a change, Heenan said.

Erik Elligers, who walked into the polls with Heenan to cast another vote for Elicker, said he shared many of his friend’s views. Also a teacher, Elligers works at a private school in Middletown, he said.

Elligers added that he “did not like a lot of Toni Harp’s advertising.”

At Lincoln-Bassett Community School in Newhallville’s 20th Ward, voters said they chose Harp because they thought she has done good things for New Haven, especially its youth. “She’s good in the neighborhoods ... and keeps a safe zone for the kids,” said Levern Brown of Bassett Street.

“I’m really just hoping for more programs and stuff for the kids, especially in the neighborhoods and definitely more job opportunities for the locals,” said Javon St. Clair of Huntington Street. “They have a lot to offer. They just need to show their talents.”

While greeting constituents outside the school, Alder Delphine Clyburne, D-20, said the goal for “the next two years for us is to bring up the lives of our people here,” with constituent services, youth programs, housing and job training. She is a Harp supporter.

There was precedent for an incumbent to win the party’s nomination at the New Haven Town Committee level, which went to Harp, but then to lose the primary election.

New Haven Votes by Helen Bennett on Scribd

In 1975, Mayor Bartholomew Guida won the nomination but lost to Frank Logue; in 1989, John DeStefano Jr. won the nomination but lost the primary to John Daniels. DeStefano later was elected to lead the city in 1993, serving for 20 years before Harp.

Some observers see similar trends at play now as in 1975.

Guida had to raise taxes during a time of national unrest, with increased voter participation. Now, in the middle of the Trump presidency, there is an organized push by Democrats to remove the president.

With 1,100 new apartments, mainly downtown, there has also been a surge in young professionals moving here, as well as empty-nesters who swelled the rolls in the 7th Ward, which went for Elicker in 2013 and was expected to do so again.

Reporters Ed Stannard and Meghan Friedmann contributed to this story. mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577