Working Families endorses Hayes

The Waterbury native who became the National Teacher of the Year after starting her adult life as a single teenage mom has been endorsed by the Connecticut Working Families Party for the 5th U.S. House District.

The party endorsement for Jahana Hayes, who is now Waterbury school district’s talent and professional development supervisor, comes one week before she is scheduled to debate Democratic front-runner Mary Glassman on Sunday in the town of Washington.

“The Working Family Party’s message of justice, equality and opportunity speaks to me directly,” Hayes said in a statement.

“I look forward to working with them in support of public education funding, Medicare for all, immigrant justice, and more.”

Hayes is challenging Glassman in an Aug. 14 primary to replace Democratic U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, who dropped her re-election bid after admitting she covered up an office abuse scandal.

Glassman, a former longtime first selectman in Simsbury, narrowly won the Democratic endorsement at the party convention in May.

There are 400 registered Working Family Party members in Connecticut’s 5th District – and they won’t be able to vote in the Democrats’ August primary. But that’s not important, said Lindsay Farrell, state director of the Connecticut Working Families Party.

“We don’t encourage our members to register with Working Families, because then they can’t do things like vote for Jahana Hayes in the Democratic primary,” Farrell said on Monday. “We work within the Democratic Party.”

Farrell said Hayes is aligned with Working Families’ priorities of fighting for economic justice, tax fairness, living wages, and workers’ rights, among other issues.

The endorsement follows news on Friday that Shannon Kula, a former Senate chief of staff, failed to collect enough signatures to appear on the Democratic primary ballot.

Republicans are also running an August primary for Connecticut’s most competitive Congressional seat.

Endorsed candidate Manny Santos of Meriden is being challenged by Ruby Corby O’Neill of Southbury and Richard Dupont of Watertown.

H. John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Jahana Hayes speaks to voters at the Western Connecticut Civic Action candidates forum in New Milford in May.

H. John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media Jahana Hayes