Hillary Clinton notched a big win in New York State on Tuesday. If she’s to beat back Bernie Sanders in next Tuesday’s Democratic primary in Connecticut, she’ll need a major turnout from urban voters. The Clinton campaign kicked out a list of endorsements from large city mayors in the state including Mayor Joe Ganim. The mayor participated in a Sunday canvassing operation in Bridgeport to churn out a vote for Clinton.
“Hillary Clinton is the one true leader our country needs at this critical time,” Ganim is quoted in the news release. “She has dedicated her entire adult life to serving those less fortunate in our country, and knows what our cities need to become vibrant communities in a data-based economy. Hillary is a true friend of Connecticut and she is the one candidate that has the experience to lead our country to a more prosperous economy for all while retaining America’s preeminent position of global power and influence.”
More from the Clinton campaign:
Today, Hillary for Connecticut announced the endorsement of 27 mayors and first selectmen across the state of Connecticut. These elected officials know that Hillary Clinton will fight to enact commonsense measures to tackle gun safety, to raise incomes for families, and to break down the barriers that hold too many Americans back.
“Hillary Clinton understands deeply how the scourge of gun violence has afflicted families and communities all across our nation, and we embrace her sensitivity to the issue in this urban center,” said New Haven Mayor Toni Harp. “Sadly, Hillary Clinton’s opponent for the Democratic nomination has a long track record of siding with the NRA, voting against the Brady bill five times, and voting to give sweeping immunity to gun manufacturers and dealers when families of the victims of gun violence file lawsuits. We need a leader who’ll stand up strong against the NRA and the powerful gun lobby, and that’s why I wholeheartedly support Hillary Clinton for president.”
“I’m proud to endorse Hillary Clinton,” said Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin. “She understands the urgent need to invest in our cities and in our infrastructure, she’s taken a strong stand in support of criminal justice reform, and she is by far the most prepared and qualified candidate to serve as our commander in chief. There’s so much at stake in this election, and Hillary Clinton is the strongest candidate to keep Donald Trump or Ted Cruz far away from the White House.”
“Secretary Clinton is extremely well-qualified, pragmatic, and will take the necessary steps to move our country forward,” said Stamford Mayor David Martin. “She understands the investment needed in our country’s infrastructure, and what support cities and states need from the federal government to grow. For these reasons and many more, I am endorsing Secretary Clinton for President.”
“Secretary Clinton is by far the best candidate to support Connecticut families,” said Waterbury Mayor Neil O’Leary. “These are very challenging times for our country and we have an amazing choice for president in Hillary Clinton. Her service as Senator and Secretary of State has prepared her to lead on day one.”
These mayors and first selectmen will work with Hillary for Connecticut organizers, staff and volunteers to mobilize their communities for Clinton in advance of the Connecticut Democratic presidential primary on April 26.
Below is a list of mayors and first selectmen across Connecticut who have endorsed Hillary for president:
Luke Bronin, Mayor of Hartford
Daniel Drew, Mayor of Middletown
Troy Frassinelli, First Selectman of Stafford
Marian Galbraith, Mayor of Groton
Joseph Ganim, Mayor of Bridgeport
Derry Gorski, First Selectman of Bethany
Toni Harp, Mayor of New Haven
Lisa Heavner, Mayor of Simsbury
Deb Hinchey, Mayor of Norwich
Catherine Iino, First Selectman of Killingworth
Richard Ives, First Selectman of Brooklyn
Matthew Knickerbocker, First Selectman of Bethel
Marcia Leclerc, Mayor of East Hartford
Rudy Marconi, First Selectman of Ridgefield
David Martin, Mayor of Stamford
Ron McDaniel, Mayor of Montville
Jay Moran, Mayor of Manchester
Edward O’Brien, Mayor of West Haven
Neil O’Leary, Mayor of Waterbury
Michael Passero, Mayor of New London
Julia Pemberton, First Selectman of Redding
Althea Candy Perez, Mayor of Winchester
Gordon Ridgway, First Selectman of Cornwall
Harry Rilling, Mayor of Norwalk
Ellen Scalettar, First Selectman of Woodbridge
Scott Slifka, Mayor of West Hartford
Michael Tetreau, First Selectman of Fairfield
And if you are not happy with the budget offerings and tax payments likely to come out of the scrum this year, perhaps you see them as a lineup of “Usual Suspects?” Rather than independent voices of leaders with integrity who are calling this one the way the odds favor Clinton at this moment? And perhaps cut themselves off from a large number of awakening young people, who see things not as older others do, but with personal idealism, without conflicts of interest and yet unimpeached integrity? Time will tell.
The leaders of Bridgeport are giving Hillary lip service. Not a one of them have reached out to seniors to see if they need absentee applications for this primary. I’ve received numerous calls from my seniors asking for AB applications which of course I’m bringing them. I don’t have to be on the TC or hold public office to accommodate them, I do it because I truly want them to be able to cast their vote. So where are the big shots who opened a headquarters downtown for Hillary? Just for the record, I’m a Hillary supporter, but it doesn’t matter to me whom they are supporting, as long as they have the opportunity to vote. What a bunch of suck-ups!!!
During Hillary Clinton’s last run for President, groups around the country banded together and asked the Clinton camp to stop race baiting. “The Week” published a piece calling for Clinton to address the race-baiting in 2008. Donald Trump?
“They are often the kinds of kids that are called ‘super-predators,’ ” Clinton said in 1996, at the height of anxiety during her husband’s administration about high rates of crime and violence. “No conscience, no empathy, we can talk about why they ended up that way, but first we have to bring them to heel.” Donald Trump?
Who is the they with whom you speak Hillary, and why should anyone black vote for you?
We don’t need more of the same entitled, establishment politicians–from both parties–extending their gravy train/magic carpet ride at the expense of the people of the United States and the rest of the world, with their slave-labor trade deals and military/war-provoking securing of such.
People long nostalgically for the Clinton years; we’re forgetting how they ended. They ended with a stock-market crash, major recession, and the election of the most disastrous presidential administration since Herbert Hoover. Bill Clinton’s financial-institution deregulation (a continuation of the Republican Reagan-Bush policies), his pursuit of NAFTA and SEATO–which resulted in the loss of millions of US living-wage jobs–and his just-add-credit and stir economic policies, took us a long way down the path of destruction toward the Bush Iraq-War/2008-economic-collapse train wreck.
Hillary is just the entitled Democratic-establishment (Republicrat) candidate who was anointed to become president by Bill and the party, just as W was anointed by George and the Republicans to become president. Look where that got us.
And look where Hillary’s healthcare, trade policy, and foreign policy have gotten us. It isn’t pretty.
And I have to laugh at the first name of the Connecticut mayor endorsers, above. LUC BRONIN. A wealthy, lifelong Greenwich resident and protégé of Dan Malloy who worked for Malloy for a couple of years, taking up residence in Hartford for a year, and running for mayor and winning on the Democratic Capitol coattails. The ultimate Gold Coast carpetbagger taking over collapsing Hartford on his way to an eventual Governor’s (and beyond) run. Another entitled Republicrat. The ultimate carpetbagger. Just like Hilary in NY.
No. Connecticut doesn’t need Hillary. Bridgeport certainly doesn’t need Hillary, we’ll lose the last five manufacturing jobs in the city.
Vote Bernie Sanders. Vote for sane foreign and domestic policy that will lead to stable prosperity.
*** All these Mayors are in deep “doo-doo” because BERNIE’S taking CT! *** VOTE FOR REAL CHANGE, NOT THE SAME OLD STATUS QUO, which is HILLARY! ***
Alfred Charles “Al” Sharpton Jr. loves Hillary!
I guess that means Mayor Ganim will be at black churches for the next two Sundays.
Ron Mackey, Ganim doesn’t have to spend too much time in Black Churches. THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF CLINTON. She is the front runner and they know what Trump’s agenda is, no-brainer! I have only heard of support for Clinton in the black community. Sanders is delusional and like Trump, his supporters have become nasty. Clinton knew how to pull the party together when she won the popular vote but lost the delegate vote to Obama. Sanders needs to do the same. Women know the ramifications of a Clinton Presidency. Especially black women who know the oppression of black woman in third-world countries. A woman leader, leader in the most powerful country in the world, will change the course of millions of lives. She is tested, strong and experienced. Everything else is noise! Clinton 2016!
Thank you Mayor Ganim and Mayor Finch for your support of Clinton. Now let’s see some action before next Tuesday.
Pragmatic progressive just like Bill, which means middle of the road leaning to the right.
Any Democrat can follow that path. Even Obama did. And where has that gotten us?
Steve, Clinton had her people in black churches last Sunday here in Bridgeport with one of Congressman Himes’ female workers and a State Senator.
Of course they were. My point was they do not need to. They have made their support for Clinton known for years!
Tony Harp, New Haven’s Mayor doesn’t have to deliver for Hillary. The Yale machine will deliver New Haven’s votes for its own law school graduate.
It is shocking Toni Harp is not on the list. Clinton will take New Haven and remember not to thank Toni Harp.
Toni Harp’s not on the endorsement list?
Steve, this was April 16th.
At Kehler Liddell Gallery, close to 200 Clinton fans packed the space, gathering to hear notables like Mayor Toni Harp, Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman, Connecticut Secretary of State Denise Merrill, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Connecticut State Senator Edward Kennedy, Jr., former U.S. Senator Chris Dodd and others speak as surrogates of the former secretary of state.
Well I didn’t see it the other day. I happen to like Toni Harp. I am glad she is on the list.
Toni Harp is on the list in the article above
It’s too bad the “Yale machine” didn’t see it necessary to teach Ms. Clinton about integrity while she was in law school.
Congratulations to Hillary Clinton on her landslide win in New York. Proud of Ganim and other Mayors for supporting the obvious choice. Thanks to the minorities of New York for standing together with Hillary as well as everyone!
Steven Auerbach, minorities will get the same thing after Hillary wins, everything they got from Bill and Mayor Ganim, nothing, but Bill did pass his crime bill which put thousands of people of color in prison for minor crimes, thanks Bill, now he’s going around saying he’s sorry about that law.
Ron Mackey, enough of your race-baiting crap. Funny how the black community thought Clinton walked on water until the Sanders campaign got into the Super Predator mentality. Remember the time frame, at the time there were aspects of this bill the black community wholeheartedly supported. Bernie Sanders supporters, you have an alternative to Clinton. She wants to continue Obama’s agenda. You want Trump because the black community will benefit under him? Do you ever support a candidate by looking beyond just the black community and saying who will be best for our country? Was Obama black enough for you or would Romney or McCain have been better? Not going to get into a pissing contest, the black vote speaks for itself, they support Clinton. I support their good choice. As a Jew I would never vote for Sanders and neither would any Jew I know, go figure! I choose experience and bridge building and coalition building. Isn’t it ironic with all the money Sanders is raising, next to nothing has gone to support any Democrats. Clinton, however, has been stumping and fundraising for Democrats. That’s a team player.
Steve, really, get a grip, it was you Steve who said, “Thanks to the minorities of New York for standing together with Hillary as well as everyone!” Steve, all I did was to reply with the truth. It’s okay for you to bring up race but I shouldn’t reply? Steve, you’ve got the wrong black man for that. Who are Donald Trump’s main supporters? White males. Who are the most loyal voter in America, the black female Democrat. The name of the game is you support me with your money and vote and I will address your concerns. Labor expects candidates they support to address their concerns just like the NRA, AARP, AMA and many other groups so why can’t blacks do the same?
Ron,
The answer to that question in minds of white politicians is simple. They have no place else to go so we don’t need to take care of them. They just keep taking care of us.
Ron–Dump! Clinton is the best choice! Respect whom you vote for and the black community can support whom they want. Apparently they overwhelmingly support Clinton. Great choice!
Steve A is a pragmatic progressive. That means damned happy with the status quo. And because Hillary takes in bundled donations to the tune of $300K for one event, that makes her better? Makes me bitter. Bought and paid for.
And why won’t Hillary release transcripts of her highly paid speaches to banks, investment houses and other financial institutions?
What is she promising she doesn’t want the rank and file Democrats to know?
Steve Auerbach, below is something written by Anthony J. Badger, who is the Paul Mellon Professor of American History at Cambridge University. He is the author of a number of books, including FDR: The First Hundred Days.
The segregated South was defeated by a social protest movement from below–the African American Civil Rights Movement–and by judicial and legislative intervention from outside–the federal government. To secure that decisive federal intervention, which forced change on a defiant white South, southern African Americans, during the years between 1955 and 1965, won the culture wars with southern whites. Civil rights protesters were nonviolent; they were peaceful and studious; and they affirmed American constitutional, democratic, and religious goals. In the battle for the hearts and minds of northern public and political opinion, white racist thugs and lawless police forces were no match. The Civil Rights Movement not only out-sang and out-prayed its opponents, it out-thought them.
But 1955-1965 turned out to be a uniquely successful time for civil rights activists. After 1965, white southerners increasingly won the culture wars in the nation at large. They targeted the enemy not crudely and overtly as black, but as violent, criminal, and immoral, and as leeches on the welfare state at the expense of taxpaying, responsible citizens. Before 1965, crucial northern white support for civil rights was cost-free. But after 1965, civil rights progress would involve costs to northern whites in terms of job competition, the invasion of their private spheres of housing and schools, and increased taxes to pay for government poverty and welfare programs that seemed to reward violent rioters.
Steve, you can clearly see where the Clintons formed their mindset about blacks because they were right there in Arkansas. Also during that timeframe between the 1960s to the 1980s there were white liberals who would tell blacks to vote for them and they would take care of their problems but many of the younger blacks said no, we will run for office and make our own changes.
Ron, I agree we need more black leadership not just black people. Leadership is the key. People like yourself should be running for office and not on this blog.