The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
2 want debate ahead of primary
MIDDLETOWN — The second of four Democrats running for mayor is calling for a public candidate forum ahead of the Sept. 10 primary.
Parking head Geen Thazhampallath on Monday joined Wesleyan graduate Ben Florsheim in seeking an independently sponsored debate to take place in late August or early September.
“Now that the mayoral field is set, with four of us on the ballot, I think it’s on all of us to give the public opportunities to see and hear us together and to be able to make those fair comparisons of us,” Thazhampallath said in a press release.
“It’s simply part of the democratic process and it’s something we can’t be afraid of,” he added.
In a July 15 press release, which followed the Democratic Town Committee-sponsored forum July 13, Florsheim asked his fellow candidates to commit to participating in at least four additional public events.
“Additional forums and debates will provide more opportunities for candidates to interact with all of Middletown’s Democratic voters in an equal, open, and fair manner — in a way that voters can listen to them and compare them side by side,” Florsheim said in the release.
Mayor Dan Drew is not seeking reelection for a fourth term, leaving the field wide open.
Democratic Town Committeeendorsed candidate and Common Council Deputy Majority Leader Mary Bartolotta and Public Works Director Bill Russo are also running for the city’s top post.
Russo, like Thazhampallath and Florsheim, gathered enough signatures before the Aug. 7 cutoff date to qualify for the primary ballot. Valeka Clarke did not get enough support by the deadline.
Common Council Minority Leader Sebastian N. Giuliano, a former mayor of the city, is running at the top of the Republican ticket in November.
“Last month, Ben Florsheim and I attended the Democratic Town Committee sponsored forum. If the successful turnout for that event is any indicator, despite it being well ahead of the primary in the dead of summer, then it’s fair to say the public is engaged and hopes to see the four of us together for an issuesoriented event,” Thazhampallath said.
“The public deserves an opportunity to hear from all candidates in advance of the primary, not solely on their front porch or online, but also in a public setting,” Florsheim said in July.