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Mayor Harp accepts the endorsement from the carpenters union.
Mayor Toni Harp snagged her second labor endorsement in two days with an official letter of support from a local carpenter’s union.
Harp received the endorsement Friday from the the New England Regional Council Carpenters, Local 326, a day after she received an endorsement from a regional chapter of a national janitors union. Harp is slated to face off against mayoral challenger Justin Elicker in the Democratic primary on Sept. 10.
“Mayor Harp has been a tireless champion for revitalizing the city of New Haven,” Local 326’s press release reads, “and promoting the sort of economic growth that has a positive impact on all of New Haven’s residents, business and community partners alike.”
Also Friday, New Haven State Rep. Robyn Porter endorsed Eli Sabin for alder in the Yale’s Ward 1. (Read about Sabin’s candidacy here.)
“I know Eli as a fierce advocate for the people in New Haven who are struggling the most,” Porter stated in a release. “If you care about justice, education, and poverty, I urge you to stand with Eli and help get out the vote in Ward 1 this fall.”
On Sunday, Elicker reunited with members of the Bait & Switch acoustic trio (Steven Nystrup on guitar, Maureen Wasik on vocals, and Dan Rausch on bass) for a musical campaign event. Elicker used to play with the band. On Sunday, he performed two solo numbers, then played a couple with his former band mates, including a rousing finale of “Wagon Wheel.”
Later in the day Elicker had a fundraiser scheduled at the Beaver Hills home of former Board of Alders President Carl Goldfield, who had championed the city’s public-financing law. This year Elicker is participating in the public-financing system created under the law; Harp is not.
Read the carpenters’ Harp endorsement letter below.
On behalf of the New England Regional Council Carpenters, Local 326, please accept this communication as an official endorsement and letter of support for Mayor Toni Harp of the city of New Haven. We wish Mayor Harp well during the campaign and look forward to working with her toward a successful re-election.
Our decision to strongly support Mayor Harp was simple. Mayor Harp has been a tireless champion for revitalizing the city of New Haven and promoting the sort of economic growth that has a positive impact on all of New Haven’s residents, business and community partners alike.
To the end, our members voluntarily contribute a small portion of their wages which they earn on jobsites across the state of Connecticut and countless volunteer hour in order to invest in future of our communities. Many of those jobs are in the city of New Haven, thanks to the efforts of Mayor Harp.
In return, all we ask is that local leaders like Mayor Harp work just as hard to get reelected and continue doing so during your tenure in public office. Remembering to stay focused on the issues faced by the working families of the city of New Haven and the employer partners we serve.
In short, our political goals are clear and squarely centered on making sure the city of New Haven remains the sort of place where we can work hard and earn an honest living. While attracting the type of capital invests and business development that will allow us to prosper together as a community.