Justin Elicker for New Haven mayor

Elicker was a strong candidate before the primary and he

remains one today.

New Haven residents could be forgiven for some confusion about the state of the city’s mayoral race.

After a hardfought, bitter Democratic primary campaign, challenger Justin Elicker surprised almost everyone not just by winning against incumbent Toni Harp, but in winning in such a convincing fashion. The mayor’s team, seemingly stunned, took days after the primary to announce a course of action, even though she had earned the right to run on the Working Families Party line.

After giving it some thought, Harp initially found the challenge insurmountable, and said she was suspending her campaign. Her name would continue to appear on the ballot, but Harp was by all accounts ceding the race.

But that didn’t last. Following some rallies and the urgings of supporters, Harp has now “unsuspended” her race, and says she is running to win. Despite that, she has not hired staff and is not running anything like a traditional campaign.

It’s understandable that she finds it hard to give up a job she fought to earn and keep. Harp has been an institution in New Haven politics for a generation, and the shock of losing must have been difficult to bear. But the time has come to move on.

Elicker, for his part, is basking in newfound frontrunner status, enjoying the endorsement of a host of major Democrats around the state, including the governor and two U.S. senators. He has turned down a $20,000 grant available to his campaign from the New Haven Democracy Fund for the general election, apparently trusting that enough is being raised to carry him across the finish line.

Elicker was a strong candidate before the primary and he remains one today. He has talked extensively of two New Havens — one that has seen success brought by downtown growth, and another in the neighborhoods that have largely seen prosperity pass them by. As mayor, he will need to work hard to see that economic development works for everyone, not just newcomers downtown, but people who have lived their lives in every corner of the city.

The city’s incomparable asset is Yale University, which puts New Haven at an advantage over every other Connecticut city and puts an international focus on the community. But the relationship has not always been easy. Yale contributes to the city’s wellbeing in a variety of ways, but it’s common around the city to think such a valuable institution ought to do more.

Elicker has indicated he shares that view. As mayor, it will be his responsibility to see that New Haven utilizes the gift that it has while also ensuring no one is taking advantage of the city. Yale and New Haven share many common goals, and the mayor’s job is to ensure that everyone is making the most out of the opportunities that are available.

Harp has served her city well through her time as mayor, and before that in the state Legislature. She is a trailblazer and has helped turn New Haven into the envy of Connecticut cities. But the time has come for a new chapter in the city.

The New Haven Register endorses Justin Elicker for mayor of New Haven.