And the battle is officially on. Three of ten Democratic Town Committee Districts will face off in March 1 primaries covering the West Side, East Side and Upper East Side that will feature three slates, according to elections officials. Absentee ballots, key in these low-turnout party wars, will be available this week. The top vote producers make up the 90-member DTC that endorse candidates for public office and selects a chairman.
The West Side battle in the 132nd District pits veteran political operatives with some new faces. Former City Council President Lisa Parziale has assembled a slate of nine against long-time district leader Mike Freddino and incumbent City Council members Evette Brantley and John Olson.
Joining Parziale on the slate, Public Facilities Director John Ricci, school board member Howard Gardner, former City Council member Bob Halstead, Carol Cocco, Gabrielle Parisi, Gail Santini, Jessica Materna and Oyiboka Benson.
Anthony Lancia, Elaine Pivirotto, Rolanda Smith, Vernon Thompson Jr, Reggie Walker and Marcus Brown round out the Freddino slate.
On the East Side, where primaries are sporting events, the 137th District has quite a fight brewing. Of course, they tend to fight and smooch depending on the day. Veteran pols Maria Valle, Juan Hernandez and Vidal Agosto have formed a slate against long-time establishment operatives Gil Hernandez, City Clerk Lydia Martinez and City Council member Aidee Nieves. The latter slate also includes education advocate Jessica Martinez, Joel Rosario, Teresa Davidson, Maria Hernandez, Anderson Ayala and Alreta Taylor. Rosa Franco, Grisel Seda, Noel Sepulveda, Tageldin Banaga, Guillermo Marin and Jacqueline Richardson fill out the Valle-Agosto slate.
The Upper East Side 138th District has three slates, with 27 candidates, on tap. School board member Maria Pereira has forged a slate of insurgents: Michelle Fox, Angel Figueroa, Eric Alicea, Dolores Fonseca, Rafael Fonseca, Helen Losak, Andrea White and Erris Roy Allen. They are challenging a slate led by City Council members Anthony Paoletto, Nessah Smith as well as Martha Santiago, Kelly Perez, Sonia Belardo, Ty Bird, Kevin Monks, Robert Curwen Jr. and James Morton.
A third slate is also competing led by former city councilor and school board member Leticia Colon and activist Charles Hare. Jose Ramos, Lee Roy Owens, Samia Suliman, Sonia Kirkland, Martha Gil, Marybel Torres and Alfonso Rodriguez round out that slate.
This is not winner slate take all. The top nine vote producers are elected to the DTC.
Lennie, what happened with the 131st district?
No primary. Not enough signatures to qualify.
Did they work out a slate for both groups?
Ron, Mary Bruce had a good slate, she did everything right, so right she turned her signatures in too close to the deadline because it took her longer to put together ethical, non-conflicted individuals. There were some last-minute glitches on the signature forms and it was too late for her to remedy them. It’s too bad because she worked hard to put together ethical people, with no conflicts, and that’s been a rare commodity with the DTC. It was a matter of a few signatures that would have taken an hour to fix, but the deadline prevented that. Next time she’ll remember, she’ll do it differently. Her district, as it stands, is one of the worst districts in the city. I admire and respect her for trying.
WOW. Ethical and non-conflicted individuals!!!
Lisa, I say it’s strange the one district that as always is making complaints about the DTC, the chairman Mario Testa and the “machine,” is the 130th district. They moan and groan but they do nothing so I guess things are going well especially in Black Rock.
Frank, believe it or not they do exist. It’s just so easy to go the other way, no one takes the time and effort. I’m one of the three districts involved in a TC challenge, take a minute to look at the makeup of people on my slate, and you’ll see it can be done. I assembled a new slate because I wanted independent thinkers, no one afraid to say no to whomever, and most importantly possess the ability to vet and support qualified candidates. I have no way of knowing if I’ll prevail, but I feel good for trying. We need more of this energy, there’s no disgrace in losing, just not trying.
This is what regionalism is all about:
citizensworkingforabetterbridgeport.com
You see Ron, the good Democrats in the 130th decided not to run for the DTC this year. Instead we decided to form a new party.
Seeing how we are so close to Long Island Sound we call the new party The Mystic Knights of the Seven Seas. After all, our district leader ran his own sister for City Council with a guy who only lived in Black Rock for a few days. As you know, together their first order of corruption on the council was to vote for a $10 million tax forgiveness package for Fairfield’s millionaire Sal DiNardo’s RemGrit. I’m sure Mr. Burns could not explain why he voted that way. But I’ll ask him anyway.
Getting back to the Mystic Knights of the Seven Seas, we were wondering if you or Mr. Day would like to become one of our Grand Poobahs. We meet once a year at the old location of the Anvil Smoke Shop and Leroy’s Newsroom on Stratford Ave.
I fail to see your humor with your so-called backhanded racial satire. Try keeping it with your like-minded associates.
Really? Anderson Ayala is around again trying for a comeback? They must be desperate! Omg.
Jimfox, like Mackey I find your attempt at humor deplorable. To suggest Ron Mackey and I would be a part of humor that certainly resulted from the fact these were work-shy, conniving, not-too-bright blacks. The very stereotypes that had so long been unfairly applied to an entire race in this comedy you are now applying it to Ron Mackey and me for what possible reason? Like Ron said your attempt at racial humor might be better enjoyed at your next Klan meeting and not on OIB.
*** GOOD LUCK TO ALL THE GOOD PEOPLE WHO WANT POSITIVE CHANGE IN BPT INSTEAD OF THE SAME OLD SHIT! ***