Jabez Choi photos
Cherene Cotter: "To have a president come in and deport immigrants… I can’t do that.”
U.S. Sen Blumenthal (right) addresses Saturday's crowd.
With a closing pitch centering abortion access and worker power, local and state elected officials gathered on Dixwell Avenue to rally for Democratic candidates up and down the ballot — especially Vice President Kamala Harris in her presidential contest with former President Donald Trump.
That rally, which was organized by New Haven’s Democratic Town Committee, was held at 9 a.m. outside Dixwell Avenue’s Q House and saw the congregation of around 100 New Haveners, labor organizers, and staunch Democratic voters.
The rally took place less than two weeks before election day on Nov. 5, when Harris squares off against Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump. Nationwide, and in seven key swing states, that race is effectively tied.
“We cannot stand on the sidelines when we see what is going on around the nation. It is a weird group of people that is running for office,” Mayor Justin Elicker said, referencing Trump. “We have an incredible woman in Kamala Harris that has fought her entire life to support the underserved in our community.”
At the front of the crowd watching each speaker was Cherene Cotter, who enthusiastically shouted as each official gave their pitch. Sporting a bright red UNITE HERE Local 217 shirt, Cotter had traveled down from Hartford to New Haven Saturday morning to attend the rally. Though no longer a hospitality service worker, Cotter wears the shirt to show her solidarity for the hospitality workers union group, which represents the new-contract-winning Omni hotel workers.
Right now, Cotter is most concerned about abortion protections and immigration rights. In 2003, she immigrated from Jamaica to the United States, where she would start a new life.
“When I look at America, [it] represents freedom to me. When I was back in Jamaica, I didn’t have a lot. I was so humble,” Cotter said. “But when I got the opportunity to come to America, that was the beginning of my family. So to have a president come in and deport immigrants… I can’t do that.”
Besides immigration and women’s rights, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro reminded rally-goers on Saturday about the dangers of Project 2025, a far-right think tank’s proposal that calls for federal policy changes like dismantling the Affordable Care Act, cuts to social security, eliminating the Department of Education, and enforcing a national ban on abortion.
“This is not a wish list. It is a to-do list,” DeLauro warned audience members, noting that she sees bills of similar nature come across the House Appropriations Committee, where she is the ranking member (and former chair).
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz emphasized the mistakes of the Democratic party in 2016 in the first battle against Trump with then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. At the time, Bysiewicz said that the party became “complacent.”
“The polls looked really good,” Bysiewicz said. “We didn’t do the doorknocking. We didn’t do the phone calls, the texting that we should have done.”
Bysiewicz then noted that Harris would sign a federal abortion rights bill to restore abortion access. She also pointed to the power of labor organizing efforts, highlighting the recent victories for workers at the Hyatt Regency Greenwich and the Omni Hotel in New Haven. And after ending her speech with a plea for all voters to vote “Row A all the way,” she emphasized early voting, which started on Oct. 21 and will continue until Nov. 3.
Toward the end of the rally, 14 alders, led by Board of Alders Majority Leader Richard Furlow, spoke of the rhetoric of voting for the “lesser of two evils.” Furlow disagreed with this sentiment.
“There’s nothing evil about our party,” Furlow said. “We are fighting for freedom.”
Other speakers included Gov. Ned Lamont, U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, state Treasurer Erick Russell, state Comptroller Sean Scanlon, and State Sen. President Martin Looney, among others.
After speeches, rally-goers signed up for neighborhood routes and grabbed green bags with campaign literature drops to leave on doorsteps. Others returned to DeLauro’s headquarters to make more literature to disperse. And some left to phonebank New Haven residents to sway more votes to the blue ticket.
R. Michelle said she came to the rally skeptical. Michelle identifies as neither a Democrat nor a Republican. She said she’s not “hardcore” against any particular person, and she wanted to hear the rally speakers and see if her opinions would be swayed. The pressing topics for Michelle are the economy and abortion, but not in the same way they’re pressing for Cotter. She’s a self-identified pro-life Christian.
“As a woman, I understand and I’ve had some thoughts and questions on it,” Michelle said. “But at the end of the day, if we can save the lives that are coming into this world, then I believe you should.”
But ultimately, Michelle said she doesn’t want to see differences turn into hatred: “We need everybody to come together and really see the value in each other.”
Non-partisan R. Michelle: “We need everybody to come together and really see the value in each other.”
New Haven congresswoman Rosa DeLauro: "[Project 2025] is not a wish list. It is a to-do list."