Primary politics will sweep into Fair Haven and Newhallville, among other neighborhoods, in coming weeks leading up to Sept. 16 Democratic Party primaries for the Board of Alders.
Challengers to endorsed candidates in eight out of the city’s 30 wards have qualified for the ballot for that day. Two of the candidates are former alders looking to make comebacks.
The other challengers who made the ballot are former Alder Robert Lee, who’s running against incumbent Barbara Constantinople for his old Ward 11 seat in Fair Haven Heights; Ward 12 incumbent Robert Spears, who had to petition his way onto the ballot to oppose endorsed candidate (and former Alder) Gerald Antunes; Bob Proto (a cop, not the labor leader), who’s opposing incumbent Sal DeCola in Morris Cove’s Ward 18; Teresa Hines, who’s running against incumbent Delphine Clyburn in Newhallville’s Ward 20; incumbent Claudette Robinson-Thorpe, who had to petition for a spot against endorsed challenger Jill Marks in Beaver Hills’ Ward 28; and Robert Anderson, taking on incumbent Carlton Staggers in West Rock’s Ward 30.
Two other wards, where no candidate was endorsed by the Democratic Town Committee, are also having primaries: Yale’s Ward 1, where Fish Stark opposes incumbent Sarah Eidelson; and Fair Haven’s Ward 14, where Thomas Burwell is taking on incumbent Santiago Berrios-Bones.
There turns out to be no primary for the two new Board of Education seats.