The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
3rd party role stirs controversy
Working Families candidates’ places on Hamden council ballot draws criticism from some Dems and Republicans
HAMDEN — Democrats and Republicans aren’t the only ones vying for votes this time around.
In the upcoming general election, voters will have the option of choosing two Working Families Party candidates for atlarge seats on the Legislative Council.
For some Democrats and Republicans, this spells trouble.
Rhonda Caldwell and Laurie Sweet are running on the WFP ticket, while maintaining their registered Democrat status. Some Democrats say it will undermine the party while Republicans are hoping to capitalize on that.
Caldwell and Sweet announced their candidacy saying they hoped to make Republican candidates running for atlarge seats work for the positions and potentially push them out altogether.
In the race for atlarge council seats, the top six candidates with the most votes are elected but the minority political group is guaranteed two of those six seats, per the town charter. With Caldwell and Sweet on the ballot as a minority party, even though they are Democrats, the council could
have no Republicans.
Sweet said at the time that they aren’t trying to compete with the Democratic Town Committee, but rather make the council way more powerful by it being allDemocrat. Council members Brad Macdowall and Justin Farmer — DTCendorsed candidates for their seats — have openly endorsed the WFP candidates.
Democratic Town Committee Chairman Lew Panzo doesn’t agree with their strategy.
“The Working Families Party could be for Democrats but they’re still on that line running against them,” Panzo said. “That’s a threeway race.”
“My problem is I think they’re going to take votes away from Democrats, not Republicans,” Panzo said. “I think the people who are going to vote Democrat could change their vote. I don’t think a Republican will vote for a Democrat or (the) other way around. I think it hurts the Democratic Party the way they’ve approached this. I think their goal is going to be compromised the way they went about it.”
Panzo said he fears that the Democratic candidates on the top line — Jody Clouse and Dominique Baez — are going to get fewer votes. He said what could happen is that the WFP candidates take away enough votes from the Democrats that the Republican atlarge candidates have room to secure higher vote totals.
“I hope we won’t lose seats, but we could,” Panzo said. “It’s putting seats in jeopardy that we normally would have probably won.”
Republican Town Committee Chairman Frank LaDore agrees — and hopes it will happen.
“Their plan is to try to control the entire Legislative Council and hopefully it will backfire,” La
Dore said. He hopes Democratic voters will be split in their votes, which could help the Republican candidates by reducing the margin by which Democrats historically win. “If the Democrats split their vote maybe we could get some of their seats,” he said.
This election is also the first time LaDore can recall that Republicans have had a full slate, which means more people knocking on doors, talking to any registered voters and getting the party’s mission into the public conversation.
“With that outreach I think we’ll be successful,” he said. What is the Working Families Party?
The Working Families Party advances racial and economic justice issues, said WFP Deputy Director Carlos Moreno.
“We’re very interested in local grassroots organizing and finding people who share our values,” Moreno said. “These two candidates align perfectly on these issues. Laurie (Sweet) is particularly motivated by immigrant issues and has a strong record of activism. Rhonda (Caldwell) is coming from more of a racial justice background and been vocal on policing issues.”
Statewide, fewer than 300 people are registered WFP voters, Moreno said. The party’s main function over the years has been trying to pull people over to the political left while being able to express their progressive viewpoints in their vote in primaries.
The WFP also has endorsed candidates this election cycle in Bridgeport, Danbury, Fairfield, Hartford, Middletown, Norwalk, Hartford, New Britain, Meriden, New London and West Hartford.
In New Haven, the party has thrown its support behind incumbent Mayor Toni Harp and several candidates for the Board of Alders.
“We have yet to spoil a race for Democrats in a municipal race when we’re going after Republicans,” WFP State Director Lindsay Farell said. “And to run as a primary candidate defeats the purpose. We’re not just trying to put these women into office. We’re trying to unseat Republicans who are out of touch with the electorate.”
In a 2018 general election race in Danbury, the WFP endorsed state Sen. Julie Kushner, D24, flipping a seat held by Republicans for 24 years.
Sweet doesn’t think they’ll unseat Democrats, but even if they could, she’s happy about the idea of making everyone work hard for the positions they’re seeking.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with pushing all the Democrats and Republicans to actually campaign and canvass,” she said. “Just like Republicans are mad because they’ve always had these seats, Democrats, if you want these seats, campaign for them, because we’ll be hitting the pavement until election day.”
Caldwell said many people are mad about her and Sweet running instead of focusing on the issues.
“I was concerned about the Republicans having to earn their seats this year but the Dems have been so cranky about having to earn it, too,” Caldwell said. “Democrats need to do the work. It’s like a coronation every election cycle and they think they just have to show up.”
She said everything that’s brought the town to this point has happened under Democratic watch and if people don’t have solutions, it’s time for others to step in.
“Our town is in bad shape and people who think you can just show up is not acceptable,” Caldwell said.
Caldwell and Sweet said they’ll remain registered Democrats because they want to be able to vote in primary elections, but they’re adamant they are a true minority party.
“I’m not a member of the DTC and I’m not a member of the longstanding establishment of that party and I wasn’t welcomed to it,” Caldwell said.
LaDore said if Caldwell and Sweet were elected, their being registered Democrats goes against the point of requiring minority party representation on council.
“I don’t see how it’s legal,” he said. “If you’re a registered Democrat running for another party, you’re not really a minority. You’d have a slate of 15 Democrats running the town. It’s not a twoparty system and it’s not how a fair government should be run.”
Panzo said the general election will be like a primary after the primary has taken place.
“Regardless of what people say, it is a minority party,” Sweet said. “It’s a progressive Democratic party and it’s much more of a minority than Republicans. Our goal is to work with Democrats, but we tried to run with Democrats and we were very unwelcome.”
Sweet said when she and Caldwell expressed interest in running as Democrats before the nominating convention, a committee member told them the slate had already been established.
“If they’re trying to claim they’re open and welcoming that’s not the feeling Rhonda (Caldwell) and I got,” Sweet said. “We didn’t feel we could be part of the DCT slate or even petition to be on.”
When they approached the WFP, Sweet said their values aligned.
Caldwell said the average voter doesn’t care with which party a candidate is affiliated, but will care about what issues they plan to address.
mdignan@hearstmediact.com