The Shock Factor Of Newton’s Endorsement–Wide-open Primary

Ernie Newton
Newtown, in a photo from his Facebook page, addresses supporters following his endorsement.

The State Senate primary promises political pyrotechnics. Is there a shock factor to the Ernie Newton endorsement? Mark your calendar for Aug. 14.

It’s gonna be some blast. Oh, the personalities will make sure of that as well as what’s on the line for the three candidates: party-endorsed Newton seeking to cement his comeback, the incumbent Ed Gomes rejected by most delegates after his seven years in office and State Rep. Andres Ayala who hopes stitching together his East Side legislative base with Mayor Bill Finch’s political organization will put him over the top. This race is up for grabs.

Of the three, Newton needed the party endorsement the most. It establishes a platform from which to campaign and helps to create some distance from his federal corruption charges in 2005 that led to Gomes winning the seat in a special election. Newton brings a base of support from the East End and, if Monday night’s endorsement session is any indication, fired-up campaign supporters. He also has the support of several members of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, a coalition of clergy who know how to urge their flocks to the polls.

Ernie Newton
Newton's pleased with his endorsement, but has much work to do.

Newton also has several seasoned campaign operatives on his side including East End District Leader Ralph Ford. The good doctor knows a lot about guerrilla-warfare campaign tactics. He is not afraid to mix it up. Newton is well on his way to qualifying for Connecticut’s public financing system and a jackpot of $100K to spend on the primary. But this primary is far from a lock for Newton.

Andres Ayala
Can Ayala frame himself as the fresh face?

Ayala, a city educator, has a strong core group of Latino pols on his side in addition to what Finch’s campaign operation brings to the table. Ayala also has two of the city’s top absentee ballot operatives on his side, City Councilwoman Lydia Martinez and former State Rep. Americo Santiago who is taking an active role in Ayala’s race. You may see an absentee ballot operation for the record books. Lydia and Ayala have been on opposite sides in the past so we’ll see how much she’s willing to weigh in. Latino politics in the city is like fighting lovers. Break up, get back together, break up, get back together. Ayala will also have $100K to spend. The mayor is supporting Ayala by default. Both Newton and Gomes supported Mary-Jane Foster for mayor last year while Ayala publicly ducked supporting either one. Ayala, the City Council president during the John Fabrizi years, is unknown outside of his East Side base, but that can create an opportunity of framing himself as the fresh face in the field.

Americo Santiago
Americo Santiago's common cause for Andres Ayala.

Ed Gomes walked out of Monday night’s endorsement session at Testo’s Restaurant making prehistoric noises. You could see each wrinkle in his forehead developing the more votes were cast for Newton. Gomes is a warrior, even at 76 years of age. He got started late in the campaign process opting to begin his work after completion of the legislative session. He has fundraising ground to make up, something he does not like to do. Gomes has solid labor credentials that matter in primaries and the prestige of seven years in the State Senate. But he must have money to compete. He will need to raise $15,000 in small donations to qualify for public financing and keep him on a level spending field with Newton and Ayala.

Ed Gomes
Ed Gomes, campaign warrior.

The key to this race may very well be the new voters from the city’s Upper East Side who were redistricted this year from the neighboring State Senate seat occupied by Anthony Musto, the district Bill Finch represented for seven years before his election as mayor in 2007. Hooker School and Beardsley School precinct voters who were part of Connecticut’s 22nd Senatorial District are now part of the 23rd District. Which of the three candidates can best capture them?

Then there are the issues. Do they matter in this kind of race? What candidate is best equipped to bring home the bacon?

Will Gomes and Ayala take advantage of the shock factor involved in Newton’s endorsement? You don’t really want him back, do you? That’s a tricky strategy with African American and Latino voters, the majority in this type of primary. How to strike a balance without turning off voters who believe in a second chances.

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18 comments

    1. Newton is the Pope of Philistines. We are a laughing stock. One of the NYC TV stations just ran a piece on Newton’s bid to retake his seat. We must remember the Philistine Newton was convicted of taking bribes, but also there are a bunch of people out there who ‘bribed’ him. These people stink too. They should be ostracized as well. Yet they influence our political moves like nothing has ever happened. Let’s start publicizing all of the names of the people who bribed these politicians so we see who we are dealing with.

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  1. Hold on, Thomas Hooker was shifted to the 23rd district??? That makes no sense; isn’t Thomas Hooker like way up in the North End??? I am not at all familiar with that precinct but when I look on the map it’s way up north and I remember them having two precincts so both precincts are shifted as well? With Cross being shifted into the 22nd district and Hooker into the 23rd it evens out but I could have sworn one of Hooker’s precincts was in the 23rd either way. With Cross being in the 22nd district I think someone could wage a primary against Musto.

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  2. donj: At one point we had two senators. They carved up the 138th like a Christmas turkey. Our district was split up when the late senator Alvin Penn wanted to move to Evers St. BTW Hooker school is part of the East End, not the North End.

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  3. The city of Bridgeport is never going to move forward as long as we keep nominating the same dumb asses over and over. Is there any wonder people don’t come out to vote? We get the same shitheads over and over. Not one new face on the ticket. The BOE candidates don’t count as they have been part of this fiasco. I have a question for these three BOE candidates, did you properly investigate Paul Vallas’ credentials?

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  4. Of all the characters I’ve met on this blog, Ernie Newton is the one with the most “Only in Bridgeport” feel. He’s already a legend and now he’s running for office. What a soldier calls in-country, EN calls in-district. It’s a battleground he can win–if it happened once it can happen again. He has the humility that comes from a publicly recognized mistake and the determination to try again–that’s a good combo. Faith must precede knowledge–ask any winner. Politics is salesmanship multiplied by the number of people in your district. All you have to do is get the most votes.

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  5. Keila Torres’ column was a bit harsh today. I was surprised how she went after Ernie but seems to ignore the daily corruption in City Hall. The Finch cronies steal from the taxpayers every day in ways you can’t imagine. That’s why they never release that June financial report that JML keeps talking about. The approved budget means nothing. Soon after approval they are transferring money to meet their greedy needs. Political patronage, illegal raises, unnecessary contracting, all political payoff with your tax dollars. Ernie admitted his mistake and apologized for it. Finch and company steal from you every day and smile in your face. That is the real story, Keila.

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    1. Keila seems to pick and choose who she picks on. It is amazing the obvious ignorance of the disingenuous Finch Administration and the pathetic situation of East Side (not East End) politics such as the docile Latino community who allows someone like Lydia to be in office or allows the nepotism of the Ayala family. Keila is enamored of the Finch Administration and I think she should do more homework.

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  6. Here is a message for the East Side. You piss and moan nothing is going on in the East Side, no food market, no development and the list goes on and on. The crying and moaning never stops.
    You wonder why this is going on? Look at the people you keep putting in office. Year after year you keep nominating and electing the same people and what do they do? Nothing. You keep putting Clemons in office and what has he done? His claim to fame is a ferry to Pleasure Beach. Has anyone taken a ride over there?
    You let Ralph Ford and his crew of self-serving people run the East Side and what has happened? NOTHING.
    Finch has screwed the East Side over and over again and what do you do? You reelect him.
    The ministers will be out in force telling you to vote for Newton and you will. After the election these same ministers will disappear. It’s almost like groundhog day. The ministers come out at election time and then return from whence they came.

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  7. BTW all these black pastors and ministers need to sit down!!! As an African American I can honestly say they have done more harm than good to our community nationwide. They are too involved politically. This is a big reason I flat-out stopped going to church because it is corrupt, just like politics. The younger generation of African Americans are realizing this and dropping and leaving the church like flies!!!

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  8. This crap about black ministers drives me bats.

    donj, the ministers are as influential as their church membership allows them to be. The ministers continue to be higher profile because of an exceptional position based on education that predates the Civil Rights movement. They were natural leaders in a community that was strangled from developing normal–whatever the hell ‘normal’ means–civic leaders in American society.

    A lot of political leaders in the white community–200 years ago–came out of the spiritual profession when education levels were lower. I expect the same thing to happen in the black community another 25 to 50 years along that happened in the white community a century ago. Preacher influence diminishes. (And it has never gone away completely. You’ve heard of the Moral Majority, right?)

    The only reason the ministers are as influential as they are is because the turnout in primaries is lousy. They get all those wonderful church ladies and their pals out–it’s a voter bloc.

    And donj, you’re going to discover if you get married and you start having kids, the missus will be dragging you off to church too with the kids whether you like it or not. You can make book on it.

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  9. The worst decision of the political season to date is Andres Ayala’s decision to trade in an easy re-election bid for State Representative to enter this race.
    He obviously assumed the nomination was his for the taking, but now he has his work cut out for him. Calling Ayala a fresh face is a bit far-fetched.
    This reminds me of when Lydia Martinez talked then-State Rep Edna Garcia into running for the State Senate while Lydia ran for Garcia’s seat in the 138th District. Guess what? Edna lost and Lydia cruised into her State Rep seat.
    No matter what happens, though, this race will be fun.

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  10. Must agree with earlier comments regarding the East Side … You deserve everything that happens … Or as is more the case, doesn’t happen.

    Lowest voter turnout in the City. Stupidest politicians just perpetuate the crap.

    Don Clemens, Ralph Ford, Ernie; all deserve each other.

    And don’t forget the Norm Crosby of Bridgeport–Bob Curwen!

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  11. *** How is Bpt. politics considered a “shocking factor” when the party endorses all of its “hardworking” incumbents or newcomer relatives to government positions? It’s a game script that’s been followed for years by its players young and old on city and state levels. Just think of all the progress that’s been made in Bpt. through the years following this game plan to bring us where we are today! It’s not really a matter of whether the glass is half empty or half full but the fact Bpt has a glass, no? So remember OIB bloggers; neither Rome nor New York was built in a day and Zombieland is no different! *** HERE WE GO! ***

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  12. *** As blues man Clyde Copeland would say, Newton is a “natural born believer,” no? He believes because his peeps believe, and those who don’t believe yet are going to come along for the ride ’til they do or merely for the kicks; and right now that’s good enough for him! *** SHAKE IT UP & DO THE BOOGALOO! ***

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