Here we go, the eve of Tuesday’s special election to fill the 130th State Assembly District seat of Ezequiel Santiago who died in March. Tuesday is shaping up as a nice weather day to vote in what is expected to be a light turnout with heavy absentee ballot activity in a large senior citizen district.
Democrat Antonio Felipe and Republican Josh Parrow are the party-endorsed candidates. Former school board member Kate Rivera, and ex state representatives Christina Ayala and Hector Diaz are petitioning challengers. The latter three are Democrats.
Felipe and Rivera both will spend more than $20,000 by virtue of qualifying for grants under Connecticut’s Citizens Election Program of publicly funded races, Rivera in impressive fashion because she had the added burden as a petitioning candidate to submit more than 700 verified signatures of district voters to qualify for the dough, giving her a list of electors to turn out.
Felipe enjoys most of the traditional party organization support. The district covers Downtown, South End and portions of the West End and East Side.
Absentee ballots could decide the outcome. The Town Clerk’s Office has processed about 500 requests for ballots, more than half that number were returned to the office as of Friday in a heavy senior citizen district.
Polls are open from 6 am to 8 pm. Polling locations: City Hall, 45 Lyon Terrace; Cesar Batalla School, 606 Howard Avenue; Bassick High School, 1181 Fairfield Avenue; Barnum School, 495 Waterview Avenue.
Where do you vote? Look here.
When those green Irish eyes are smiling, it’s time to vote for a real Puerto Rican!
vote. – Hector Diaz!
Who’s the fake Puerto Rican? Your comment is out of line. Kate’s last name has been Rivera for almost half her life. Why should she change it now?
Base on that logic then Joe Ganim will definitely NOT get elected as mayor. City Council member Smith from the 130th district will definitely NOT get reelected as a City Council member again and Marcus Brown in the 132th district.
She’s not running for reelection.
What is Christina Ayala offering her constituents, free booze at her father’s bar?
Turnout percentages will be very interesting.
Hector said, “one of our, our voice,” let’s go, Puerto Ricans for Puerto Ricans, Blacks for Blacks and whites for whites.
Ron the fact that the district is majority minority gives credence to my belief it should be represented as such. Black or Puerto Rican. For a gentleman that has been in the forefront of issues concerning minority representation it surprises me that you’d support a Candidate that does just the opposite. I guess true colors show up at odd times.
Hector, I’m totally surprised that you ALWAYS are supporting a white mayors all the time especially when whites are in the minority and why you do ALWAYS support white Democratic Town Committee Chairmen all the time when whites are the minority in the DTC? Hector, where is the Puerto Rican candidate for mayor? You have always supported the Democratic machine, whatever they say and do right or wrong, federal investigations you are silent, Hector when do you challenge those on power when they are wrong? It good to know that you don’t support the best person, just the person who looks like you, by the way are Joe Ganim and Mario Testa Puerto Rican?
you a funny dude Ron…your ignorance is showing , here’s a lesson …Puerto Rico is a colony of these United States. It is not a race, we come in all colors (why I believe God likes us best), Me loving Puerto Ricans and wanting them to succeed is akin to Nationalism not racism, pay attention, those who say you must live in the District , well the District lives in me , its been in me all my life, I’ve carried it with me when I was in the Navy and during the time I lived in Puerto Rico. I will always represent it, even after its been gentrified and no longer looks like us. For your info , you mentioned my father the other day did you know that he originally ran with Charlie Tisdale and that, that was how he became Town Clerk a position that he held 20 years. Now a little Geography and History for you Lebanon is just off the Coast of AFRICA and Sicily was governed by MOORS for over 300 years. Have their been any candidates of color who have run for town Chairman or Mayor, since Tisdale? Finally, its easy as hell to yell from the sidelines or armchair quarterback but they refuse to be put in the game. You should be thanking me for stepping up…
If I live in that district(which is an issue unto itself) I would vote for Parrow just to create a little tremor in the BPT political landscape. Or Kate Rivers. Nothing after that.
Good to see that’s almost $50,000 of public funds 2 of the candidates decided to waste had been used wisely on signs and comfort stations for their workers at three polls. The turnout will dictate how your money played a part in this election.
Hector, for someone who has been apart of the political system for a long time as a elected official you are doing a lot of complaining for someone who has more name recognition than anyone running. You should be the runaway choice in this election, there is no reason why you didn’t get the funding that Kate and Felipe got so who do blame for that?
there is a simple reason “I did not choose to waste public dollars on an election that was only a month long” I have always been against the use of public funds for elections, no blame , just facts.
Little Joe was there handing out slices of pizza from Tio Mario’s pie shop. That’s good enough for a few votes…
Meanwhile, police overtime continues to be out of control and not a peep from the police commission.
Eric the budget for the Police comes from the City Council.