Bronin in race; what’s next?

Reviewing opponents in primary countdown

HARTFORD – Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin got the nod from Democrats Monday night in his bid for a second term leading the capital city.

He received 78 percent of the vote from members of the Hartford Democratic Town Committee to win the major party endorsement in the September primary.

But there’s plenty more to this race, and the election of Hartford’s next Court of Common Council.

The mayor’s opposition

Two mayoral challengers made their presence known at the town committee’s nominating convention.

State Rep. Brandon McGee received 16 of the 75 votes, or 21 percent, Monday night. He has the support of town committee member and fellow Rep. Minnie Gonzalez, the deputy majority leader of the state House, and her husband, committee member Ramon Arroyo.

Former Mayor Eddie Perez announced Monday that he would not participate in the town committee’s nominating convention. Perez, who resigned as mayor in 2010 amid a corruption controversy, rallied with supporters for more than an hour at the entrance of M.D. Fox Elementary School, where the convention was held.

McGee and Perez said they will work to petition onto the primary ballot, and continue on to the November election. They each must secure 2,143 signatures, according to Hartford’s registrar of voters.

Six other candidates have filed to run

against Bronin: Aaron Lewis, an author and publisher; J. Stan McCauley, who owns a public access TV station; Hartford Board of Education member Craig Stallings; Michael Downes, a substitute teachers union leader; Giselle Jacobs, who owns a commercial cleaning company; and Andre J. Thompson, a former security guard.

With no candidate from their party, the Republican Town Committee voted Monday night to endorse McCauley, who has previously run for mayor as both a Democrat and Republican.

Hartford election key dates

The primary will be held on Sept. 10, and the election on Nov. 5. Polls are open both days from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

By Aug. 7, nominating petitions are due from all other candidates who wish to appear on the ballot in the primary.

Absentee ballots for the primary will be available on Aug. 20, and for the November election on Oct. 4.

By Oct. 22, write-in candidates must register with the Secretary of the State.

Democratic council slate

Democrats endorsed three sitting council members for re-election, Majority Leader James “Jimmy” Sanchez, Thomas “TJ” Clarke II and Maly Rosado, who is also a town committee member.

They also endorsed three council candidates in town committee members Shirley Surgeon and Nick Lebron, and former council member Marilyn Rossetti.

Surgeon is a former Hartford registrar of voters and vice chair of the Upper Albany NRZ.

Lebron is a community organizer, therapist and co-chair of the regional advisory council for the state Department of Children and Families.

Rossetti is the executive director of The Open Hearth, a Hartford men’s shelter, who served on council from 1999 to 2003.

Who else is in the race for city council?

Current Democratic council members John Gale and rJo Winch were nominated by the town committee, but did not receive enough votes for an endorsement.

Candidates Ronald Simpson Sr. — a town committee member — and Eliezer Mercado also received nominations, but only saw a handful of votes from town committee members.

Three other Democrats have filed to run for city council: Ronnie Walker, a retired correctional officer and town committee member; Ramon Espinoza, a former vice chair of Hartford’s Civilian Police Review Board and counselor at the University of Connecticut; and David MacDonald, who served on city council from 2012 to 2015 and Hartford school board for six years before that.

Republican candidates

One Republican candidate has filed to run for for city council, Ted Cannon. He has previously run for Hartford mayor and Board of Education.

The Republican Town Committee has endorsed Cannon, as well as Gary Bazzano and Tamara Cunningham.

Working Families candidates

The Working Families Party has until Sept. 4 to submit its endorsements for the Hartford election.

The Hartford City Council has three sitting members of Working Families.

Minority Leader Wildaliz Bermudez, has said she will run for re-election, but has not formally begun campaigning or filed campaign finance papers with the city.

Minority members Larry Deutsch and Claudine Fox have not announced whether they will run again.

Deutsch is serving his third term on council. Fox was tapped last year to fill the vacancy left by Cynthia Jennings, who resigned amid a controversy over her party affiliation.

Treasurer’s race

City treasurer Adam Cloud received the Democratic endorsement. He was first elected in 2011 after serving as assistant city treasurer.

He has one challenger in former council member Kenneth Kennedy Jr., a state assistant attorney general.

Register to vote

Residents can register to vote online at https://voterregistration.ct.gov.

Mail-in applications to vote in the primary must be postmarked by Sept. 5 and received by noon on Sept. 9. Voters may register in person with the registrar of voters or town clerk through on Sept. 9.

Mail-in applications to register to vote in the November election must be postmarked by Oct. 29 and received by Nov. 4. Hand-delivered applications must be received by Oct. 29.

Voters also have one final opportunity to register in person on Nov. 4. Individuals may also register for the first time on election day, but alreadyregistered voters will not be able to change their registration to vote in another municipality.