A veteran campaign manager and top aide to former Mayor Toni Harp has signed on to help Tom Goldenberg’s campaign for the Democratic mayoral nomination.
The former aide and campaign manager, Jason Bartlett, is hosting a Quinnipiac riverine fundraiser Thursday evening for Goldenberg, one of four Democrats seeking the nomination in a Sept. 12 primary. The other candidates are two-term incumbent Justin Elicker, Shafiq Abdussabur, and Liam Brennan.
Bartlett, who served as Harp’s campaign manager and as her youth services director, has begun advising Goldenberg on issues and has been seen around town working with him.
Why?
“He has a voracious intellectual curiosity that fascinates,” Bartlett said Tuesday. He cited Goldenberg’s experience starting a financial services company: When Goldenberg’s attorney told him to stay away from cryptocurrency and blockchain because it’s a “Ponzi scheme,” Goldenberg didn’t buy it, Bartlett said. “Instead of taking no for an answer, Tom read 9,000 pages of crypto code, understood it, decided it wasn’t a Ponzi scheme, wrote his own code,” and incorporated it into his business.
New Haven will benefit from a mayor who can take that approach to challenging issues like education, public safety, and job creation, Bartlett argued. “You marry those things together — the McKinsey [consultant] experience, his intellectual curiosity with blockchain, and his service — I think he’s the answer.”
Goldenberg confirmed Bartlett’s account of incorporating crypto into his financial services start-up, which was called Commandiv. Goldenberg said he also produced a blockchain video tutorial on the Udemy site and offered bitcoin tips through posts on LinkedIn.
Laura Glesby Photo
Bartlett introducing client Amy Chai at 2022 kick-off for her Independent Party campaign against U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro
Goldenberg called Bartlett a “friend” and “adviser” without a formal campaign title. Bartlett said he has mostly volunteered his services, receiving one payment of $500 . (“I gave him some advice.”) He said he didn’t charge Goldenberg for marching alongside him at the June 4 Freddy Fixer Parade: “That I do for exercise — I got me a tan and dropped a couple pounds.”
Thursday’s campaign fundraiser, at River Grill at 3 – 5 Clifton St., features the work of sketch artist George Ruffin, who created the above drawing of candidate Goldenberg.