New Haven will be sending 74 Democratic delegates to Hartford next month to vote for the party’s nominee in a number of state races — including one for governor, where three-term incumbent Gov. Ned Lamont faces a challenge from progressive Hamden State Rep. Josh Elliott. New Haven Democratic Town Committee (DTC) Chair Vincent Mauro, Jr. confirmed that the DTC selected delegates at a March 24 meeting. Delegates are made up of ward co-chairs, DTC members, and elected officials. On May 16, delegates will head to Hartford for the state Democratic convention, where they’ll cast their votes for statewide offices — governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of the state, treasurer, and comptroller — and the Third U.S. Congressional District race. In the latter, incumbent Democrat Rosa DeLauro faces a challenge from Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) member Andrew Rice. Republican challengers in the gubernatorial race include State Sen. Ryan Fazio, former New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart, and former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey. The Connecticut Republican Party will hold its state convention on May 15 and 16. The primary election will be held on Aug. 11. The candidate who receives the majority of votes at the state convention will receive the party’s official nomination. Candidates who earn at least 15 percent of votes will make it onto the ballot. Sarah Locke, executive director of the Connecticut Democratic Party, said 1,978 delegates will be selected across the state to attend the May 16 convention, while others will be automatically invited. Locke estimates a total of 2,045 delegates will be in attendance. Asked how he expects New Haven delegates to vote, Mauro said that Lamont would be visiting the DTC on Thursday to vie for support. As a moderate Democrat, Lamont has faced some criticism from his own party. “People will give him the benefit of the doubt,” Mauro said. “People will have questions about the future.” Elliott, meanwhile, has focused his campaign on embracing progressive ideas Lamont has prevented the Democratic legislature from implementing — such as raising marginal tax rates on millionaires and passing legislation to enable striking workers to collect unemployment compensation. One delegate, Ward 14 Co-Chair Ana Paola Juarez, said that the state convention next month will be the first she has ever attended. “Is he my first and favorite pick? Absolutely not,” Juarez said about Lamont. She said she hasn’t given Elliott very much thought yet. Her two priorities are immigrant rights and cost of living. “The working class right now is really struggling,” she said. Juarez is an employee at Yale and said that some of her coworkers have talked about getting a second job. Juarez will be in attendance for Lamont’s visit to the DTC. “I definitely want to ask my concerns and see what he has to say about it,” she said. “We certainly don’t have a lot of options in this state.” Juarez’s co-chair David Weinreb, meanwhile, declined to say whether he would vote for Elliott or Lamont but chose to speak on Lamont more generally. “I see Lamont as a huge coward when it comes to actually fixing big problems like the education cost sharing formula. Based on my experience listening to him, it seems like it comes from a deep misunderstanding of what actually happens in school. He thinks schools are fine and the funding is fine,” Weinreb said. “As an educator, I feel deeply misunderstood from his understanding of the facts,” he continued. “I would love to see other candidates for governor stand up.” Dwight Alder Frank Douglass, meanwhile, said that being a delegate this time around will be “maybe my 14th time.” He said he was still thinking about who he would vote for, but he was leaning towards Lamont. “I’m a strong believer in not changing horses in the middle of the stream,” Douglass said, referring to the party’s opposition to the Trump administration. “As far as the [Board of Alders] is concerned, we’ve had a pretty open relationship with Ned Lamont.” He would be giving the decision more thought in the next day or two, and would be in attendance for Lamont’s visit. “I’m really looking for Governor Lamont to come through with some of his better points,” Douglass said. “I’m very open,” said Downtown/East Rock Alder Christine Kim. She said she’s most interested in understanding what Lamont’s vision is for the state — and how New Haven fits into that vision. “I’m really looking forward to seeing what he has to say.” Kim also said she knows Elliott and has interacted with him since even before he began his campaign for governor. “I have heard Josh Elliott and his vision, which is a very different vision,” she said. Kim also plans to reach out to members of her ward to understand who they would want her to vote for. The post 74 Local Dems To Head To Hartford appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less