Harp Backs Lamont; Lamont Backs Tweed

Ned Lamont has snagged a prize in his quest to win the Democratic nomination for governor: the endorsement of New Haven Mayor Toni Harp.

Harp, in return, has snagged an ally in her quest to expand airport service in New Haven.

Harp formally announced the endorsement at a press conference at Tweed-New Haven Thursday afternoon.

In a cramped room overlooking Tweed’s runways inside the airport’s administrative building, Harp exuded energy as she cited Lamont’s success as a tech entrepreneur, his support for transit infrastructure projects like a longer paved Tweed runway, along with his volunteer experience teaching in Bridgeport’s Harding High School (under then-principal, now New Haven schools chief Carol Birks). She called Lamont ​“the full package.”

“He understands business,” Harp said. ​“He supports Tweed. He supports cities. And he supports our young people. … He is the person we need leading the state.”

Harp was upfront about her agenda in bringing Lamont to the airport for the endorsement: ​“I chose this setting for today’s announcement to underscore the need for Tweed.”

Harp has been trying to convince the state legislature to pass a law next week allowing Tweed-New Haven Airport to pave another 1,000 feet of its runway in order to try to lure commercial jet service to Washington, Florida, and/or Chicago. That proposal has proved controversial, pitting irate neighbors in the surrounding Morris Cove neighborhood against political and business leaders with especially pressure on State Senate President Martin Looney, whose district includes the airport. Read more about that here and here.

Lamont obliged at Thursday’s event by embracing the state proposal.

“Tweed is a big piece of [Connecticut’s] economic future,” he said. ​“It’s such a game-changer” if the regional airport could add flights to other major cities besides Philadelphia.

“I talk to a lot of businesses all the time who tell me if there was just a little better [air] access in and out” of the area, they would invest more in the region, Lamont said.

He promised to ​“work with” Morris Cove neighbors opposed to the proposed expansion. He said before the event that he does not yet have specific ideas he’s ready to state on the record about what to offer them in return for supporting expanded plane service.

Lamont said he has never personally flown out of the airport — but he’d like to.

At times it felt like a Toni Harp rally more than a Ned Lamont rally. The dozens of city workers and elected officials present cheered loudest at two points: The support for Tweed; and the non-response responses Lamont and Harp gave to a question about whether she will run as Lamont’s lieutenant governor candidate.

“I’m going to be working with him no matter what,” Harp offered.

“I love the mayor,” Lamont stated.

Asked if she would accept the lieutenant governor nomination if offered, Harp responded, ​“I would have to think long and hard. It is a decision Ned has to make. I am not ready at this point. I don’t want to put any pressure on him.”

Some of Harp’s political allies have been encouraging her to run. She has repeatedly stated in appearances on WNHH FM’s ​“Dateline New Haven” program that she does not intend to seek state office this year, preferring to focus on accomplishing her goals as mayor.

Some of those attending the event, such as Beaver Hill/Amity/Beverly Hills/Westville Alder Richard Furlow, said they are indeed supporting Lamont’s candidacy. ​“He’s the one that can win. He’s a perfect fit for the Democratic Party. He’s going to be able to work well with Republicans” and draw on his business experience to tackle deep budget problems, Furlow argued.

Others, such as Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker and Market New Haven chief Anne Worcester, said they have not decided on a candidate to support. ​“I’m here to support the mayor,” both of them stated when asked why they attended.

Year Of The Woman

The endorsement came one day after EMILY’s List, the D.C‑based political action committee that supports female candidates, endorsed one of Lamont’s opponents, Susan Bysiewicz, for the Connecticut governor’s race. So the timing of Harp’s endorsement serves in part as a response: Harp is New Haven’s first-ever female mayor. She was just featured in an Essence magazine feature declaring 2018 ​“The Year Of The Black Woman Mayor.” (Harp also just completed a term as president of the national African-American Mayors Association.)

Thursday’s endorsement brings Lamont the support of the leading elected official in a city that will send the most delegates (100, including super-delegates) to the May 18 – 19 state Democratic Party convention. Harp’s endorsement does not mean Lamont gets all 100 of those votes for the party endorsement; Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, for instance, has been winning some New Haven support for his Democratic gubernatorial quest.

But Lamont has clearly had the momentum among New Haven politicos in recent weeks. (He has also hired three of them — Hill Alder David Reyes, former Upper Westville Alder Sergio Rodriguez, and Beaver Hills Democratic ward co-chair and state Democratic committeewoman Audrey Tyson — to work on his gubernatorial campaign staff.)

New Haven also has been racking up the most votes for Democratic candidates in statewide elections in recent years. Office-seekers like U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy have in the past practically camped out here while running.

Historically, a mayoral endorsement does not translate to winning New Haven’s vote. At least not for Ned Lamont. He won then-Mayor John DeStefano’s endorsement the last time he ran in a Democratic gubernatorial primary, in 2010. New Haven Democrats nevertheless voted for Dan Malloy over Lamont in that primary. If Lamont, as expected, wins the state party’s endorsement, he is likely to face a primary from Ganim, Bysiewicz, Guy Smith, and/or Sean Connolly.

Ganim this week is opening a campaign office in New Haven. Lamont opened his second campaign office in town this week.

Harp also gets something out of Thursday’s endorsement event: Visible support from the leading Democratic gubernatorial candidate for her quest to convince the state legislature to pass a law next week allowing Tweed-New Haven Airport to pave another 1,000 feet of its runway in order to try to lure commercial jet service to Washington, Florida, and/or Chicago. That proposal has proved controversial, pitting irate neighbors in the surrounding Morris Cove neighborhood against political and business leaders with special pressure on State Senate President Martin Looney, whose district includes the airport. Read more about that here and here.

“Working constructively with the neighbors, I think making Tweed a regional airport will be just vital to economic development to New Haven, East Haven, and central Connecticut. I’ve talked to the business leaders and academic leaders. I know how important a more frequent regional service is to our community,” Lamont told the Independent Thursday morning.

Click on the Facebook Live video below to watch Mayor Harp’s endorsement of Ned Lamont for governor.