Many important stories have been covered by the New Britain Progressive in 2018. It may be difficult to name only a few articles as the top stories of the year, but there are a few the New Britain Progressive would like to share as our Top Ten. Other Top Ten stories can be found at “Top Ten Stories of 2018.”
History was made in the 2018 election as Democrat Jahana Hayes became the first African-American Democrat to represent Connecticut in Congress.
“We did it. We did it,” exclaimed New Britain Democratic Vice Chair Ronald P. Davis after Hayes’ victory in November. “Let’s rejoice this victory and defeat hate with love.” (New Britain’s Blue Wave) Hayes trounced her Republican opponent in New Britain, with more than 12,000 people voting for her. (Democratic Sweep in New Britain)
It was a decisive end to what had been an unexpected and long road to Hayes’ historic victory.
When former Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty announced that she was not seeking re-election, delegates had already been selected to the Fifth Congressional District Nominating Convention. What was set to be a sleepy convention with the certain endorsement of Esty, became the stage for numerous candidates vying for the open Congressional seat.
New Britain Ald. Manny Sanchez (D-AL) was one of the leading candidates. Announcing his candidacy on the steps of the State Capitol in May, he said, “This is a pivotal moment in our state and our country. We need leaders who are willing to champion issues that matter most to working families.” (New Britain Ald. Manny Sanchez Announces Candidacy for Congress)
When the Convention was held later in in May, Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman was declared the winner, while Hayes and Sanchez qualified to primary for the party nomination. Sanchez later decided not to proceed with a primary challenge.
Controversy erupted from the decisive second ballot of voting at the Convention. Hayes’ supporters watched a 171 to 169 vote lead over Glassman, apparently giving her the Convention endorsement, slip away as delegates switched from supporting Hayes to Glassman. (Glassman Wins Congressional Endorsement, While Sanchez and Hayes Qualify to Primary)
Hayes’ supporters, many new to politics and energized by her candidacy, were left angered by party machinations pulling votes from Hayes to her white opponent. The state NAACP agreed and supported an appeal of the convention outcome to the state Democratic Party, which convened an appeals board to settle the dispute.
Vote switching is common at nominating conventions. But, three of the four delegates switching were members of the New Britain delegation, and New Britain’s delegate votes became the focus of the hearing because paperwork filed did not show two of the three New Britain delegates as having switched their votes. (New Britain Votes at Issue at State Democratic Hearing on 5th District Endorsement)
The two New Britain delegates testified at the hearing that they did, in fact, switch from voting for Hayes to Glassman, and the review panel acknowledged that New Britain Democratic Party Chair William Shortell had completed the paperwork as instructed by Convention officials.
But the hearing became the focus of larger issues for the Democratic Party. Connecticut NAACP President Scot X. Esdaile reminded the panel of the long history of voter suppression against African Americans in the United States, and asked the Democratic Party, “that represents democracy, to make sure that civil rights are not being violated.”
While the Democratic Party review panel did not take away Glassman’s convention endorsement, it did decide in favor of Hayes. It decided that the two New Britain delegate votes in question should go to Hayes. The final vote was 171 votes for Glassman and 169 for Hayes. (Democratic Panel Decides in Favor of Hayes, Glassman Retains Endorsement)
It was a moment that became emblematic of Hayes’s message as an outsider to politics, who understands the struggles of everyday people and is able to fight for their interests.
When everyday Democratic voters had their say in the Democratic primary in August, they delivered a decisive win for Hayes, including in New Britain, making her the Democratic Party nominee for the Fifth Congressional District.
Hayes’ historic candidacy and primary win overshadowed the other big election news in New Britain that day – the defeat of Mayor Erin Stewart in the Republican primary for lieutenant governor. Stewart’s previously ballyhooed candidacy for governor had already fizzled away before the Republican state convention. She backed out of the governor’s race and ran for lieutenant governor, instead, only to fall in defeat for that office, too, receiving only a fraction of the statewide Republican votes. (Hayes Wins NB and Nomination, Stewart Loses Despite NB Votes)
In a year of major of changes and many new leaders rising in a Democratic Party that swept to wins across the country, Congresswoman Jahana Hayes made history in our state, and her candidacy brought change to the Democratic Party in Connecticut. Her historic election is certainly one of the most important among the Top Ten stories covered by the New Britain Progressive in 2018.
Hayes Wins NB and Nomination, Stewart Loses Despite NB Votes
August 15, 2018
Waterbury educator Jahana Hayes won more votes from New Britain Democrats than former Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman, helping Hayes in her victory in the August 14, 2018 primary for the Democratic nomination for the Fifth Congressional District.
Meanwhile Republican Mayor Erin Stewart was defeated in her campaign to be the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor, despite receiving more votes from New Britain Republicans.
Unofficial results from the Secretary of the State show Hayes receiving 2,119 votes from New Britain Democrats to 1,438 for Glassman. As of 1:22am on August 15th, with 91% of voting districts reporting, the Secretary of the State results showed Hayes winning with a 22,187 to 13,465 lead, districtwide.
The Fifth Congressional District nomination was a closely watched race among activist New Britain Democrats, with local activists on both sides. The delegates chosen by the New Britain Democratic Party to the Fifth Congressional District Democratic Convention had split in favor of Glassman, twenty-seven to ten.
In the Republican primary for Lieutenant Governor, Stewart was defeated by Southington State Senator Joe Markley, who, according to unofficial Secretary of the State results as of 1:20am on August 15th, had 63,408 Republican votes statewide, to 43,823 for Stewart and 26,418 for Darien First Selectman Jayme Stevenson. These results were with 91% of voting districts reporting.
Stewart’s defeat came, despite receiving 822 votes from New Britain Republicans to 358 for Markley and 100 for Stevenson.
The full results of the Democratic primaries in New Britain, according to unofficial Secretary of the State results, with all voting districts reporting, were:
| Governor | |
| Ned Lamont | 2,662 |
| Joe Ganim | 842 |
| Lieutenant Governor | |
| Susan Bysiewicz | 2,019 |
| Eva Bermudez Zimmerman | 1,503 |
| Congress – 5th District | |
| Mary Messina Glassman | 1,438 |
| Jahana Hayes | 2,119 |
| State Treasurer | |
| Shawn Wooden | 2,045 |
| Dita Bhargava | 1,330 |
| State Attorney General | |
| William Tong | 1,969 |
| Paul R Doyle | 782 |
| Chris Mattei | 661 |
The full results of the Republican primaries in New Britain, according to unofficial Secretary of the State results, with all voting districts reporting, were:
| Governor | |
| Mark Boughton | 265 |
| Timothy M Herbst | 246 |
| Steve Obsitnik | 143 |
| Bob Stefanowski | 357 |
| David Stemerman | 251 |
| Lieutenant Governor | |
| Joe Markley | 358 |
| Jayme Stevenson | 100 |
| Erin E Stewart | 822 |
| United States Senator | |
| Matthew Corey | 851 |
| Dominic Rapini | 253 |
| Congress – 5th District | |
| Manny Santos | 574 |
| Ruby Corby-O’Neill | 311 |
| Richard DuPont | 252 |
| State Treasurer | |
| Thad Gray | 527 |
| Art Linares | 619 |
| State Comptroller | |
| Kurt Miller | 496 |
| Mark Greenberg | 624 |
| State Attorney General | |
| Sue Hatfield | 876 |
| John Shaban | 255 |
Democratic Panel Decides in Favor of Hayes, Glassman Retains Endorsement
June 13, 2018
The five member panel appointed by State Democratic Party to consider challenges to the outcome of the Democratic Fifth District Congressional Convention has ruled in favor of Waterbury educator Jahana Hayes.
Jahana Hayes. Frank Gerratana photo.
The panel has decided that two of the New Britain delegates who New Britain Democratic Chair William Shortell had announced as having switched their votes from Hayes to former Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman should be counted, as they initially voted, for Hayes.
The decision decreased Glassman’s final vote from 173 votes to 171 and increased Hayes’ final vote from 167 to 169, leaving Glassman with a two vote lead.
As a result, Glassman retained the party endorsement.
The Democratic nomination for the Fifth Congressional District will be decided by Democratic voters in an August 14, 2018 primary between Glassman and Hayes.
The controversy came out of the decisive second ballot of voting at the convention. When the votes were initially declared in that ballot, Hayes had a majority of declared votes, putting her at a 171 to 169 vote lead over Glassman.
Mary Glassman. Frank Gerratana photo.
New Britain’s delegates were split, with twenty-six voting in favor Glassman and eleven delegates voting for Hayes. But before the vote was declared as final, three New Britain delegates apparently switched from supporting Hayes to Glassman. One Avon delegate also switched from Hayes to Glassman, and when the balloting closed, Glassman was declared to have a 173 to 167 vote majority vote to win the endorsement.
Vote switching at nominating conventions is a common part of the Democratic party’s process in Connecticut. What occurs is that, after each city and town’s delegate votes are declared, the chair of the convention holds off for a time in announcing the vote as final. During this time, delegates are invited to change their votes, if they choose, and changed votes are announced by delegates’ local party chairs. It is a process that has been widely supported, because it allows discussion between delegates before final decisions are made.
But the process by which this occurred at the Democrats’ 2018 Fifth District Congressional Convention has been the focus of controversy, with many charging that it appeared unfairly tilted in favor Glassman, denying the party endorsement to Hayes, who would be Connecticut’s first Democratic African American member of Congress.
Connecticut NAACP President Scot X. Esdaile reminded the panel of the long history of voter suppression against African Americans in the United States, as he asked the panel to review the results of the convention. He also reminded the panel of the history of overwhelming votes for Democratic candidates from African Americans, asking the Democratic Party, “that represents democracy, to make sure that civil rights are not being violated.”
Esdaile was joined by other NAACP leaders at the hearing, including New Britain NAACP President Ronald P. Davis.
Mayor Neil O’Leary (D) of Waterbury said that the rules governing the convention require that any delegate switching their vote to sign a form documenting their changed vote. He said that, though Shortell announced that three New Britain delegates had changed from voting for Hayes to voting for Glassman, only one switched vote was actually identified by a form signed by a delegate.
Shortell said that, after one delegate changed his vote from Hayes to Glassman, he turned in the vote change form to convention officials. He said that the reason that the other two delegates who switched their votes were not on the form was that he was not able to get the form back to get the signatures of those two delegates when they, later, changed their votes.
Two New Britain delegates also testified at the hearing that they were the two who switched from voting for Hayes to voting for Glassman.
The panel acknowledged that Shortell acted as he was instructed by convention officials, but concluded that the fact that two of the vote changes were not recorded meant that only one New Britain vote switch from Hayes to Glassman would be counted in the final vote.
The panel voted unanimously in its decision.
In addition, the panel made two recommendations for the Connecticut Democratic Party, as a whole.
The Panel recommends that the Party work to design a better process for recording votes at conventions to help when pressure increases. The Panel also recommends that the Party reconsider whether to offer a vote change option.
New Britain Votes at Issue at State Democratic Hearing on 5th District Endorsement
June 7, 2018
The State Democratic Party will hold a hearing on June 7th on complaints filed about the Fifth District Democratic Convention, including complaints about New Britain delegate votes.
Jahana Hayes. Frank Gerratana photo.
The convention resulted in Democratic party endorsement for former Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman, while Waterbury educator Jahana Hayes and New Britain Ald. Manny Sanchez (D-AL) qualified to primary for the party nomination. Sanchez has since decided not to proceed with a primary challenge.
In a letter forwarded by the New Britain Branch of the NAACP, Samuel Carmody, Director of Party Affairs for the Connecticut Democrats says that, “James Monroe, who had served as a delegate to the 5th Congressional District Convention from the Town of Waterbury, has filed a complaint on behalf of the Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches.” The letter also says that a complaint was filed by Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary (D).
One of the allegations cited in the letter is that, “There were irregularities with the documentation of vote switches made by delegates from the Town of New Britain.”
Mary Glassman. Frank Gerratana photo.
When the second ballot of voting began at the convention, the vote was nearly tied between Glassman and Hayes, but Hayes had more votes than Glassman. New Britain’s delegates split in favor Glassman, but with many delegates voting for Hayes. With the voting still open, three New Britain delegates apparently switched from supporting Hayes to Glassman, and when the balloting closed, Glassman had the majority vote to win the endorsement.
But, according to CTMirror, controversy has been generated by paperwork from New Britain Democrats that identified only one delegate vote whose vote was switched from Hayes to Glassman.
The other two subjects of the complaints are that, “The first ballot had more votes cast than the number of credentialed delegates who had registered,” and that, “The length of time the second ballot vote remained open was excessive.”
The letter says that Democratic State Central Committee Chairman Nick Balletto, “has appointed the panel for the Dispute Resolution Committee,” adding that, “The complainants, the respondents, and the campaigns who participated in the convention will have an opportunity to present their point of view at the hearing and answer questions from the committee.”
The panel will meet on June 7, 2018 at 6:00pm at the Connecticut Democratic Party Offices. which are located at 30 Arbor Street, Suite 106A, in Hartford.
New Britain Ald. Manny Sanchez Announces Candidacy for Congress
May 1, 2018
Democratic New Britain Alderman Emmanuel “Manny” Sanchez (D-AL) has announced that he is running as a candidate in for the Fifth Congressional District, saying, “This is a pivotal moment in our state and our country. We need leaders who are willing to champion issues that matter most to working families.”
Democratic Congressional candidate Manny Sanchez. Frank Gerratana photo.
“I have earned their support by knocking on every door and listening to the issues they care about and doing something about it,” said Sanchez. “That’s what I plan to do as a candidate for Congress and I look forward to talking to the voters of the Fifth.”
Sanchez has officially filed paperwork with the Secretary of the State’s to seek the Congressional seat.
Sanchez is a twenty-nine year old four term incumbent member of the New Britain City Council. He had been one of the two Council members representing the city’s Third Ward, but, in 2017, he sought and won one of the five At-Large (citywide) Council seats.
Democratic Congressional candidate Manny Sanchez. Frank Gerratana photo.
Sanchez’s citywide win was part of a wide Democratic Council victory in which Democrats tripled their Council seats and gained the majority.
A lifelong New Britain resident, Sanchez works as a Development Officer for Major Gifts for the University of Hartford. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut, holding a degree in Urban and Community Studies.
In making his announcement, Sanchez was joined by New Britain’s Democratic state legislative delegation, Sen. Terry Gerratana (D-6), State Rep. Bobby Sanchez (D-25), who is Ald. Sanchez’s uncle, State Rep. Peter Tercyak (D-26) and State Rep. Rick Lopes (D-24).
Frank Gerratana photo.
He was also joined by fellow Democratic City Council members, including, Ald. Richard Reyes (D-AL), Ald. Iris Sanchez (D-3) and Ald. Katie Breslin (D-AL), as well as Council Clerk of Committees Veronica DeLandro.
Frank Gerratana photo.
The Fifth Congressional District represents the cities of New Britain, Meriden, Danbury, most of Waterbury and parts of Torrington. It represents towns in the Farmington valley and wide sections of northwestern Connecticut. The 2018 election for the district is an open seat contest after Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (D-5) announced that she would not be seeking re-election.
Connecticut’s Fifth Congressional District.
“We need to energize our cities and towns with leadership who have fresh ideas and the energy to fight for our District, for Connecticut and our country,” said Sanchez.
