The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
State ruling on Middletown mayoral ballot perplexing to some candidates
MIDDLETOWN — The interpretation of a primary election statute has Democratic mayoral hopefuls scratching their heads as Public Works Director Bill Russo will appear in a row on the ballot by himself, not only without his alternative slate — but on the line below it.
The Democratic Town Committee endorsed Common Councilwoman and Deputy Majority Leader Mary Bartolotta July 18, along with an entire slate of candidates, which included Kellin Atherton as planning and zoning alternate.
Then, in response, Russo, Parking Director Geen Thazhampallath, Wesleyan grad Ben Florsheim and activist Valeka Clarke mounted petitions to be on the primary ballot.
All but Clarke garnered enough signatures by the Aug. 7 deadline.
The next day, Atherton announced he had qualified to primary for a full PZC seat, which prompted Town Clerk Ashley Flynn to seek counsel from Secretary of the State Denise Merrill’s office.
According to Connecticut election statute, the first
candidate who appears on the primary ballot is the partyendorsed individual, Communications Director Gabe Rosenberg said Monday.
That placed Bartolotta on Row A along with the entire DTCendorsed slate.
On the ballot, mayoral candidates are listed alphabetically from top to bottom, and other candidates alphabetically from left to right, Rosenberg said.
Full slates get their own row, most often with the candidate at the top of their ticket.
That would have meant Russo and his team would get a row, but Russo didn’t offer an alternative planning and zoning candidate, so Atherton was placed on Row B with Florsheim, the next candidate in alphabetical order. That created a full slate, Rosenberg said.
Russo was on the ballot next by virtue of his last name and Thazhampallath last.
Flynn, who has been in the office in some capacity since 2005, said she hasn’t encountered a primary quite like this one. Never before in her tenure have so many candidates been vying for their party’s mayoral nomination, nor has there been an alternate slate for the primary, Flynn said.
The alphabetical system put Florsheim on Row B, along with Russo’s alternative slate of eight council members, a treasurer and Atherton, who has publicly supported Florsheim for mayor.
Russo (on Row C) and Thazhampallath (on Row D) are listed alone as petitioning candidates.
“It essentially broke up his slate,” Flynn said of Russo. “The other part of Billy’s slate stays on the second row, because that’s the next blank line for Common Council and treasurer.”
Russo admitted he was surprised to learn the ruling.
He, his supporters and fellow candidates worked intensely for two weeks to secure enough signatures to be on the ballot. They turned in their petition on July 29, with 50 percent more than the minimum 610 signatures to qualify.
His campaign was just about to order signs Thursday saying “Vote Row B” when he learned of this recent development. “I won’t let it stop us,” Russo said.
“I don’t want to create a controversy. That’s not me. I’m going to do it as honestly as I can, but I really don’t understand the outcome” of the decision made by Merrill’s office, he added.
“I’m not on Row B with the team, but I’m endorsing the team,” because he shares their beliefs on where they city should be in the future, Russo said.
With a number of veteran Democratic politicians vying for a limited number of slots, Russo said, the make up of the common council after Election Day will be a much different one.
After Atherton, who has a master’s degree in business administration and works for Quest Global, an aerospace consulting company, was endorsed by his party as alternate, he felt unsettled.
After consulting three of the DTC’s four PZC candidates — Elizabeth Emery, Thomas Pattavina and Richard
Pelletier — he realized the three shared his concern over protecting the riverfront. Atherton said did not say why he did not contact Catherine Johnson, a former PZC commissioner.
“I’m very concerned about there being enough of an infrastructure in place to push back against riverfront development over the next five to 10 years, and to make sure we value conservation and preservation in riverfront conversations,” Atherton said, pointing to his seven years of experience in the Connecticut manufacturing industry.
He also supports the Niantic River environmental agency Save the River Save the Hills.
Atherton said he’s concerned about the types of businesses coming to Middletown, and making sure development proposed for the riverfront is aligned with his vision for the city’s future.
“Whenever I had that conversation with people, they acted very positively and they signed,” he said about his primary campaign.
After speaking with his wife and other family members, Atherton decided to primary.
“Not only do I have these values and this message, but it would be a good learning opportunity and a way to participate in the process,” which cemented his decision, he said.
For his part, Russo will keep campaigning alongside his slate of candidates.
“It’s a kink in the chain we’ll have to overcome. Nothing is a sure thing. Hopefully, the results will fall our way,” he said.