Municipal Primary Roundup
by Staff reports | Sep 14, 2011 12:00am
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Posted to: Election 2011, Local Politics
New Haven Mayor John DeStefano was able to defeat all three of his challengers helping him secure a record 10th term in office with less than 50 percent of the total vote.
Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra, who took over the job when former Mayor Eddie Perez was convicted, was able to win his first mayoral term fighting off his opponent former AFT Union President Edwin Vargas. State Rep. Timothy O’Brien of New Britain was able to fend off a challenge from rival Alderman Paul Catanzaro and Dan Drew of Middletown bested his mayoral opponent Christine Bourne.
Segarra, O’Brien, and Drew all received the backing of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. DeStefano won without Malloy’s support.
In New London, where the next mayor will be the city’s first strong mayor, Democratic voters bucked the trend and voted for political newcomer Daryl Justin Finizio.
Finizio toppled New London City Councilman Michael Buscetto III.
Republicans in Oxford also decided to vote for change when they selected George Temple over the party-endorsed candidate David Yish.
In East Hartford, Mayor Marcia LeClerc, who landed in the mayor’s office when Melody Currey was appointed Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s Department of Motor Vehicles commissioner, bested two challengers: Santo Alleano and Mary Alice Dwyer Hughes.
According to the Courant, Alleano, a retired firefighter has already filed papers to run as an independent in November. Sources say Dwyer Hughes who is the chairwoman of the board of education and Capitol staffer won’t run as an independent.
Primaries were held in 21 municipalities Tuesday. Bridgeport’s primary was postponed to Sept. 27 by a Superior Court Judge after a court challenge by one of the candidates who was left off the ballot by the Registrar.
