Graves Captures Party Endorsement

It took two ballots and some last-minute arm-twisting for Democrats to endorse a candidate for probate judge Tuesday night — but the race has only just begun.

The endorsement provided the main drama at a Democratic Town Committee (DTC) convention held at Career High School, where the party also endorsed unchallenged candidates for mayor, city clerk, Board of Education, and Board of Alders.

The party endorsed Clifton Graves Jr., who currently works as the city’s prison reentry coordinator. He ended up as the party’s nominee in a second-round ballot.

The two men he beat in a close vote, fellow attorneys Americo Carchia and Orlando Cordero, both said after the vote that they’re considering challenging Graves in a Sept. 12 Democratic primary; they need to submit the 1,850 signatures of registered Democrats by Aug. 9 to qualify for the ballot. Whether or not they do, the party’s eventual nominee faces Republican Melissa Papantones in the Nov. 7 general election.

The candidates are seeking to fill the remaining year of a four-year term of retiring Probate Judge Jack Keyes, who has presided over the court for 32 years. Judges serve four-year terms; the position pays an annual salary of $125,000. Candidates are required to live in the district where they serve. And whoever ultimately wins the seat will have a year on the job before having to stand for election again to run for a full four-year term.

Before the endorsement vote Tuesday night, Democratic Town Chair Vinnie Mauro laid out the rules, on which he had contacted the Secretary of the State’s legal office for guidance. In order for a candidate to gain the nomination Tuesday night, Mauro reported, the winner needed 50 percent of the vote plus one. But if none of the three candidates could achieve that, the person with the lowest number of votes would drop out of the endorsement race, and a second round of balloting would take place.

During the first round of balloting, the low man on the totem pole was political newcomer and Hill native Orlando Cordero, who was lovingly nominated by his aunt, Ward 3 Co-chair Maria Cordero Rodriguez. He received 13 votes to Graves’ 24 votes and Carchia’s 17.

At that point, Mauro called a ten-minute break. And the two campaigns still standing got to work scrambling to convert Cordero’s voters.

“Go see Mr. Dye!” Otis Johnson, a Graves volunteer holding a clipboard with ward-by-ward tallies, directed fellow campaign worker Rey Harp, referring to a possible flip vote.

Harp squooshed through the crowd to find the Johnny Dye, the longtime co-chair of the Sixth Ward Democratic committee, ensconced in an auditorium chair while those around him stood and schmoozed.

Harp asked Dye to vote for Graves.

“I’ve gotta stay with my ward,” Dye said, referring to feedback he’d received from constituents.

“You’ve gotta stay with your ward. I understand that,” Harp agreed, then moved on, the clock ticking.

He turned around to face Ward 29 co-chair Audrey Tyson. Like other people close to Judge Keyes or connected to the probate court, Tyson had been a visible supporter of Carchia. But it was believed she might flip; Tyson has taken heat from other black Democratic activists for not supporting Graves, the African-American candidate in the race.

Tyson, who had voted for Carchia in the first round, said she was undecided before the second round of balloting took place. She said that since her vote came last (Ward 30’s co-chairs were not present), she would wait to say how the tally was standing before she would decide.

Harp didn’t press it.

“I’m going to let her vote her conscience,” Harp said. ​“I know Audrey’s a woman of conscience.”

Tyson next found herself in a more heated confrontation with another Graves supporter, Sheila Carmon. Then Mauro called the convention back to order.

Unusually for a New Haven Democratic Party official proceeding, there was suspense. People genuinely couldn’t predict the outcome.

Some early vote wards switched to Graves. Fair Haven, a largely Latino district that had stood by Cordero in the first round, split its votes.

By the time Tyson’s turn had arrived, most people hadn’t yet done the math. The outcome wasn’t widely known. Tyson was among those still counting.

She told Mauro she wasn’t ready to vote.

Mauro said she could pass.

“I want to vote!” Tyson responded. She hesitated — then cast her vote for Graves.

It turned out Graves would have won with or without her vote. The final tally was either 29 – 25 for Graves (by the town committee’s official tally) or 30 – 24 (by the Independent’s).

In his acceptance speech, Graves told the audience that he plans to continue Keyes’ legacy if elected, though he did acknowledge that first, he has to get elected.

“We’ve still got some work to do,” Graves said. ​“We have to win, perhaps, the primary — I don’t know Americo, Orlando, we’ll have to talk about that. But there is a primary and then a general election in November, so we still have a ways to go.”

He praised his opponents for having kept the race clean. But he took shots at what he claimed were nasty personal attacks some of his opponents’ supporters leveled at him. He said he hasn’t always been perfect, but he has also striven to do his best.

Graves huddled with his two opponents after the vote. ​“Cliff and I will talk,” each opponent said when asked if he will ultimately decide to primary Graves or drop out of the race.

Paul Bass contributed reporting.