Jon Greenberg Photo
Clyburn at Monday’s rally.
A leading U.S. Congressman from South Carolina took a break from the craziness in Washington to endorse a New Haven mayoral candidate — and described bipartisan concern about the president’s mental health.
The Congressman, U.S. Rep. James E. Clyburn, the third-ranking House Democrat, came to a campaign rally Monday night at Varick Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church on Dixwell Avenue with New Haven U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro. They both endorsed Mayor Toni Harp’s bid for a third two-year term as mayor. Harp is facing a challenge from fellow Democrat Marcus Paca.
Clyburn’s appearance came just hours after President Trump fired White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci. Trump appointed Scaramucci to that position less than two weeks prior.
The Congressman did not touch on White House drama in his speech, but he discussed the situation in Washington with the Independent afterwards. Clyburn said members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are worried about the president’s sanity.
“There are people [in Congress] who really believe there is something amiss with the president,” Clyburn said. “You don’t continue to say the kinds of things he’s saying and doing the kinds of things he’s doing if you’re clicking on all cylinders, so I think there are a lot of people worried as to what exactly is going on with him.”
Rosa DeLauro.
In a speech at the rally, Rosa DeLauro lauded Harp for her success in reducing crime, improving public schools and energizing the city’s economy . She cited rising graduation rates and school attendance rates, three straight years of balanced city budgets, an improved city credit rating and dwindling crime statistics as evidence of progress in these three areas.
Harp reinforced this message during her brief speech at the rally.
“New Haven is a city on the rise,” Harp said. “We have improved education, more economic development, and more and better jobs for New Haven residents.”
The rally came at the end of a troubling month for the city in which one minor was injured and another killed by gunfire. DeLauro praised Harp for her “strength” in the face of tragedy over the past few weeks.
Mayor Toni Harp at the lectern.
Clyburn, who was a public school teacher before he became a politician, also praised the mayor for her work on public education. He said one of the most telling statistics of school success is the number of suspensions and expulsions issued, and when he saw that suspensions and expulsions in New Haven public schools dropped precipitously over Harp’s tenure, he was impressed.
During her speech, Harp asked alders and union and New Haven Rising members at the rally to stand to be recognized and thanked by the crowd for their work in the city. DeLauro, in her speech, pledged that “we will have a graduate students’ union,” referring to the bid by UNITE HERE Local 33 to negotiate a first contract with Yale. This was met with cheers and applause from the Local 33, 34 and New Haven Rising members.
At the end of the ceremony, Rev. Scott Marks asked the crowd to fill out contact information forms provided by Harp’s campaign team. Jesse Phillips, Harp’s campaign manager, said his team will use the information on the forms to reach out to the mayor’s supporters for campaigning purposes as Election Day nears.