Paul Bass spoke with Democratic Town Chair, and McCarter Government Affairs Advisor Vincent Mauro Jr. on New Haven’s Primary Day in which eight Democratic Party ward co-chair positions were up for grabs. Ward co-chairs vote for municipal, state and federal candidates at party nomination conventions and take leadership in organizing neighborhood volunteers to work in elections. According to Vincent, ward co-chairs are integral positions in jumpstarting a career in politics, as well as influencing endorsements for public office.
The two slates include “Dems for Dems”, which is the incumbent slate that cites the cities progress and stability, and the “New Haven Agenda”, which claims that there needs to be a group that doesn’t work just for union interests and that the power in the city is too concentrated. This is the first primary since 2012 where slates of candidates competed for ward co-chair positions; Mauro claims that elections like this are healthy for the party and the city because they allow for new ideas to be shared and criticisms be heard. “New Haven’s a small city. There’s room for everybody. Just have the conversation,” said Vincent.
When discussing the upcoming Presidential Election, Vincent calls upon voters: “I think this is one of those elections where the narrative around the popular vote is going to mean something… You’ve got to go vote.” He claims that although it may appear that electoral votes are making the decisions in certain states, if voter turnout is strong it will be incredibly influential in the 2024 election.