Markeshia RIcks, Finnegan Schick Photos
Eidelson, Stark.
One of the city’s most hotly contest primaries centers on where an alder should spend most of her or his time — at City Hall, or two blocks away on Yale’s campus.
The primary pits incumbent Ward 1 Alder Sarah Eidelson against Fish Stark, who has spent the summer amassing unusually visible support for a challenger. It is one of eight Democratic Party primaries for alder scheduled on Sept. 16.
Congressman’s Son
Stark greeting arriving freshmen.
Stark and Eidelson both emphasize youth and local hiring policies. They both describe themselves as pro-labor. They differ on the role of an alder representing a ward that is almost entirely made up of Yalies.
“This position should be filled by someone who could mobilize Yalies,” Stark said. Though the challenger, Stark has been endorsed by a majority of the ward’s Democratic Committee members as well as six alders, five of them associated with a dissenting caucus that opposes the board’s labor-backed majority. State Sen. Gary Winfield, Upper Westville Alder Darryl Brackeen and former mayoral candidate Justin Elicker spoke on behalf of Stark at a rally this week. In July he raised $3,500 dollars from 58 donors
“Fish has the characteristics that are critical to be the best representative,” Elicker said. “There are politicians who don’t represent the people.”
Fish Stark, 20, grew up in Annapolis, Maryland, the son of a Congressman from California, Pete Stark. As a sophomore, Stark worked with the Yale College Democrats and canvassed for Gov. Dannel Malloy. At the Calvin Hill Day Care Center in Prospect Hill he has served as a teaching fellow. He has also worked for Squash Haven, a not-for-profit that combines sports and academics to help New Haven public school kids. Education and youth services have become a hallmark of his campaign. Three Board of Education candidates have endorsed his education plan, though not his campaign.
“It’s very clear to people that there are two pro-union, progressive candidates in this race,” Stark said, promising to “do the work that Sarah is not doing now.”
Stark repeatedly criticized his opponent for absenteeism, nonattendance of important city votes, and a disconnection from Ward 1.
“Sarah has been, for the past four years, invisible,” he said. “Students don’t know who she is. We haven’t heard squat from our alder.” A Yale Daily News survey last year found that a majority of Yale students could not name their alderperson.
“You don’t own seats on the Board of Alders, you earn seats on the Board of Alders,” Stark said. “We can’t afford another two years of absenteeism.”
“We Don’t Want To Be An Island”
Sarah Eidelson graduated from Yale three years ago with a degree in American Studies and Art. She was first elected to the board in 2011 as part of a slate backed by Yale’s UNITE HERE Locals 34 and 35. Eidelson, a Yale alumna, works for Local 34.
As the incumbent candidate, Eidelson defends her hard work over the past two terms to improve education in the city.
She helped local high school students write testimonies to the Board of Alders that were included in the Board’s 2013 recommendation to elect students to the Board of Education.
On the board, Eidelson helped craft the legislation for the new election process, which took place for the first time in June of this year. Over 2,500 high school students in the city turned out to vote. She is also the chair of the Student Election Committee.
“It’s important for young people to be successful,” she said. “Especially in challenging circumstances, we need to have a wraparound approach.”
As chair of the board’s Youth Committee, she helped craft a plan to build youth centers in neighborhoods throughout the city.
As part of the board’s majority, she also supported the creation of the New Haven Works agency to link local people to local jobs.
“We are in a state of real crisis in this city with regard to jobs,” said Eidelson, pointing out that minority neighborhoods in New Haven have an unemployment rate of around 20 percent and that 70 percent of New Haven jobs are held by non-New Haven residents. “How do we approach a crisis of that scale?”
In all her work as alder, Eidelson said she made sure her constituents were on board. But although she does graphic design and communications for Local 34, her employer did not endorse her candidacy this year.
“I didn’t ask for their endorsement,” she said. “I’ve never sought institutional endorsement.”
As Ward 1 alder, Eidelson said she built relationships with other alders, worked with leaders across the city, and developed many initiatives and policies. She is also the first Ward 1 alder to be part of the board’s leadership.
“No one can say that I haven’t put in the time,” she said. “The criticism is about where I spend my time as alder. I’ve had to be really thoughtful about balancing engaging people, meeting with student groups, with being a leader for the city.”
She said that if her ward would like to see her prioritize those things differently, she would be amenable to changing.
“We want our ward to be leading the city,” she said. “We don’t want to be an island. Students need to know what’s going on in the city.
“It can be hard as a Yale student to find a point of entry into New Haven. I see my role as being that bridge,” she said.