Dems to hold primaries in 10 districts; GOP in the 3rd

WEST HAVEN — It’s hard to remember the last time that a chance for a Democratic primary rolled around in West Haven without somebody on one side or another — or sometimes on all sides — taking up arms.

So it shouldn’t come as a shock they will be going at it again this Tuesday in all 10 districts.

At stake, of course, are seats on the Democratic Town Committee, which decides which Democrats get endorsed for both city and state legislative offices — an important task in a city where the Democratic Party has long been dominant.

Lest the local Republicans be forgotten, they also will have a primary in the 3rd District.

There, onetime GOP Town Chairman Paul Frosolone and Joel Kaletsky will be challenging the six endorsed candidates: Amy Clifford, Victoria Clifford, Arlene Johnson, Ron Johnson, Kris Petrucci and former city councilman and GOP mayoral candidate David Riccio.

Polls will be open for 3rd District Republicans — and citywide for Democrats — from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.

Loosely speaking, on the Democratic side, the endorsed “Row A” slates in all but two districts — the 4th and the 5th — are allied with Democratic Town Chairman James Morrissey and former Mayor Ed O’Brien. (There are a few people scattered around who are friends with both sides.)

For the most part, the 4th and 5th District endorsed “Row A” slates are allied with current Mayor Nancy Rossi, as are the “Row B” challenge slates in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th districts.

Aside from district-by-district leadership, one thing at stake is the overall party leadership, with Morrissey likely to remain at the helm if his allies retain a majority of the 60 seats. He stands to lose the chairmanship if Rossi’s allies win a majority.

Officials on all sides say they wish there wasn’t a need for the primary, although all appear ready for the battle.

Morrissey, who angered many on Rossi’s side with his open, aggressive support of O’Brien even after O’Brien lost last September’s primary and decided to make an independentrun against Rossi, said he is interested in retaining the chairmanship.

He also said this primary, which he called a waste of money, didn’t need to happen.

“We had an open caucus on Jan. 12 and all the registered Democrats were invited to come down to the caucus,” Morrissey said.

About 300 people did come, “and Team Rossi decided that they didn’t want to show up,” he said. “We could have settled our business on Jan. 12 and it would have been over with,” but instead, “They chose to challenge in citywide primary.

“It’s going to cost $50,000 between the Registrar’s office and the City Clerk’s office, and we could have settled our business on Jan. 12,” Morrissey said.

Morrissey offered at a recent City Council meeting to drop his sides’ challenges in the 4th and 5th districts if Rossi and her allies dropped their challenges in the other eight districts. No one took him up on it.

“They knew all along about this caucus. They chose not to show up,” Morrissey said. “I could assure that if we lost that night there would have been no primary. You’re talking about fiscal responsibility ... that $50,000 could have been used to save somebody’s job.”

Rossi said that “obviously, it’s an important primary. It’s important because we have a lot of work to do in this city and a lot of it begins with town committee ... They have a lot of important decisions.”

Morrissey “is a big part of what the problem is with the town committee and in West Haven,” Rossi said. “He’s upset that he’s no longer in control in City Hall, so he’s trying to” stay in control through the town committee, she said.

“I love this city and I want this city to prosper and so do the group of people that are running with me on Tuesday,” Rossi said.

O’Brien said he has been working hard.

“We’re out there talking to residents and getting good response,” he said. “I think that we’ve done a good job. I think it’s important. The Democratic Town Committee endorses all the officials that run ...

“We’re looking forward to a successful primary,” he said.