Brianne Bowen Photo
Smart right after the endorsement vote.
New Haven’s Democratic Town Committee spurned a 10-year incumbent and handed its endorsement to Michael Smart in the unusually contested race for city/town clerk.
At a party convention at Career High School, the DTC voted 30 – 12‑4 in favor of endorsing Smart for the part-time $46,597-a-year clerk’s job. The clerk oversees the office that handles land records, campaign filings, record-keeping for the Board of Aldermen, and licensing that ranges from new enterprises to dog licenses.
Twelve votes went for clerk candidate Sergio Rodriguez (pictured), who said he plans to collect signatures on petitions to qualify for a spot on a Sept. 10 Democratic primary ballot against Smart. With Tuesday night’s endorsement, Smart gets an automatic spot on the ballot as well as the expected support of many party leaders, including supporters of the Yale-affiliated unions who represent a majority of DTC members. Rodriguez enjoys the support of most prominent Latino leaders in New Haven; if he wins the election, he will become New Haven’s first Latino citywide elected official.
The four votes went to Ron Smith, who has held the clerk’s job for the past ten years. Smith did not attend the convention. He said later his foot has been bothering him, so he couldn’t make it; he might need surgery. “I’m definitely running” in the primary, he said. “People have the last say in this city.”
“I’m glad to finally be part of the ticket” with endorsed mayoral candidate Toni Harp, Smart said after the vote. “We certainly have work to do. I intend to get out there and do it.”
“Obviously I’m disappointed with the way it went” at the convention,” Rodriguez said. “But you move on.”
Click here and here for previous coverage of Smart’s candidacy; here and here for stories about Rodriguez’s candidacy; and here for coverage of Smith’s candidacy.