This is what the state election calendar says:
May 28: PRIMARY PETITIONS – AVAILABLE. Petitions forms for persons desiring to oppose candidates for the district offices of state senator or state representative shall be available from the Secretary of the State on the seventy-seventh day preceding the primary for such office. (9-404a)
Except City Councilman Ernie Newton, trying to recapture his former seat against State Senator Herron Gaston, had a dubious head start, according to the incumbent and the state acknowledges it.
A spokesperson for Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas acknowledged Newton mistakenly received primary petitions May 15, the day after he unsuccessfully challenged Gaston for the endorsement at the convention and two weeks before that paperwork was supposed to be made available to all candidates. Because the petitions are due June 11, Newton has had double the time to turn in the required 1,462 signatures to ensure a spot on the ballot.
How this stuff works:
Party regulars meet to endorse candidates for public office. Opponents qualifying for a primary have a specified time to hand in certified signatures of five percent of electors in the district, in this case roughly two weeks. Except Newton received a two-week head start against the election calendar.
Here’s the rub For Gaston:
Chozet continued, “When the error was recognized, a legal review determined that the best option was to allow the signed petitions to be valid rather than disqualified. Primary petitions do not require a date along with the signature, which makes it impossible to tell when a voter signed the petition and, therefore, impossible to invalidate signatures received before the 28th.”
Hmmm…this is not Newton’s fault but the state’s snafu for not following its own election calendar.
Sounds like Gaston, an attorney, has a legitimate beef to take to court if Newton is certified for an August 13 primary.
Statement from Newton’s Facebook page:
Very interesting Mr Gaston is trying to deny the thousands of people who signed my petitions to primary Mr Gaston. I want to thank the Secy of the State for saying for saying it was their mistake and will allow me to continue getting signatures. What is he so afraid of he was the endorsed candidate. I could see if he had to go out like I had to and get signatures. He may have stopped me from getting the 9 votes but he can’t stop me from getting on the ballot as I continued campaigning I will let the voters of Bridgeport and Stratford who hav signed my petitions that Mr Gaston is trying to steal your rights to vote for me. My Lawyers are ready to files lawsuits against anyone who tries to stop our people from Voting. This isn’t the south where people are making it hard for our people to vote.
Gaston responds to Newton:
What I am afraid of: I am afraid of voters losing faith in our electoral system. As a student of jurisprudence, it is my duty to defend the Constitution and to respect the rule of law. I welcome Mr. Newton to legitimately enter the race, but not through an illegitimate process. I have faith in the electorate and the delegates of the 23rd Senatorial District who’ve spoken time again that they trust me to represent them in Hartford.
It makes it difficult to have full faith and confidence in our electoral system when people blatantly violate and undermine the rule of law with little to no consequences or accountability. Mr. Newton has been in politics long enough to know better and ignorance is not an excuse to bend the rules or flagrantly break the law. Hence, this is true for the Secretary of State’s Office, and in this case, Ernie Newton is no exception. Once again, Newton’s actions shows that he’s willing to break the law and maintain the status quo of business as usual— by any means necessary to try to manipulate his way onto the ballot using a technicality to shield himself of culpability.
Parting of Petitions forms is a piece of cake for Moses, you’re out ranked here Reverent Gaston!