Another Disorganized Convention Results in Endorsements Over Two Days

The parking lot at Bulkeley High has seen better days. Grass grows up in a handicapped spot. An empty bottle of booze sits where someone left it. The building is imposing, with few windows and no signs of joy. It looks and feels like a place one attends by force, not because it’s a center for intellectual growth that one may opt into.

With the Democratic Town Committee‘s convention slated to begin at 6 p.m., politicians, committee members, and families began to gather hours in advance on Bulkeley’s steps, some to rally for their candidates, others to avoid sitting down.

It’s not hard to stand and chat, delaying entrance to what will no doubt feel like a cage for the rest of the evening. Knowing how these go, we knew it would be inexpedient and frustrating. Snacks would need to be eaten surreptitiously, lest we get asked to leave and end up missing something. They want to preserve the auditorium’s new carpet, and who can begrudge them of that? It appears to be the only update to the room that is otherwise stuck in the mid-1970s. There’s no Wi-Fi. Outlets are hard to find. If they have any technology developed in the past 40 years, they weren’t using it, with the vote tally later being kept on a large white board that could barely be read.

Then, there is the issue of sound. The high point was a performance by Global Communications Academy’s Elite Percussion, which really does not need amplification. Those kids played while people were still filtering into the auditorium, and many of them stayed hours into the night, introducing them and, in some cases, their parents, to the political process.

You want me to get right to it, but that would mean losing an understanding of how nominations and endorsements happen.

While the Democrats continued to seep into the room, the game playing had already begun. A few committee members began to talk strategy when they realized they were technically in the press area — a television station’s giant camera was the tip. One actually said they had to move so that the news media did not overhear their conversation.

Others were less careful, and openly spoke when asked questions. Early on, I asked what everyone had been asking me: “Does Luke Bronin really have the endorsement locked? Is this a sure thing?” Without hesitation, I was assured this was the case, and this was not presented with bravado, as those who are politically active are wont to do. That was the surprise, not the actual endorsement.

One of the Democrats on the DTC said there was a sense that Mayor Segarra had been favoring a very specific demographic during his tenure, and even that group was not 100% backing him.

Waiting for things to begin provided opportunity to write down the names of everyone in attendance. In the public section, there were people who had spoke against the stadium, along with elected officials, City Hall employees, some Republicans, and at least one couple having a date night. There was a girl wearing a tiara and sash. Various young children. There must have been a microbrewery opening last night because there were not so many twenty-somethings.

The media made a better show this time around — not quite as robust as for the announcement of the stadium — which thinned considerably once Bronin received the endorsement officially.

That would not be for awhile.

The program said that prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, roll call, and reading of meeting rules would happen at 6 p.m. It was 6:47 before the meeting was called to order. Nobody apologized for the late start, which included a prayer that made mention of the “blood of Jesus.”

After initial revulsion over the exclusively Christian prayer, it was accepted as suitable, given that some politicians no doubt have a martyr complex.

Action did not pick up immediately, as one might expect from a meeting that has been delayed. Instead, Ramon Arroyo (married to State Rep. Minnie Gonzalez)  questioned the rules that were decided at a previous meeting. It was unclear what, specifically, he took issue with, making this seem like a way to stall. Those who have been following the path of the mayoral campaign in recent months knows that Gonzalez promised a fight to keep Segarra right where he is, making any actions by those in the third district seem questionable.

As it turns out, the rules were more for appearance than enforcement, even if Marc Dibella promised that “disruptions will not be tolerated” and those who cause trouble will be removed by the one police officer standing by the door.

By the time roll call rolled around, we learned that there were nine proxy appointments, something that the Registrars were asked to confirm. This created more delays with nothing in the way of explanation of what everyone was waiting on.

At 7:21, David Morin (3rd district) nominated Pedro Segarra, giving reasons that included quotes from New Haven Mayor Toni Harp’s endorsement. A portion of the room grew loud with support, prompting the first attempted call for order at 7:22.

This was quickly followed by a nomination for Luke Bronin, coming from Steven Harris (5th district). The roar of the crowd was deafening. No vote was even needed.

The 5th district covers much of north Hartford. The 3rd district covers much of the south side.

Pedro Segarra stepped up to the microphone, began with the niceties one would expect, and then declined the nomination. There were audible gasps. The audience reaction drowned out what followed, but Segarra vowed he would take the vote to the people, and left the room, with many of his supporters following.

So, that happened pic.twitter.com/ZTt8lqDbBj

— real hartford (@realhartford) July 27, 2015

There was no order to be had. Some members of the media flew out of the room.

We sat and watched how the remainder reacted. Luke Bronin and his wife looked astonished. For all the rumbling we have been hearing in recent weeks of deals being cut here and there so that Bronin would secure the endorsement, this move by Segarra was not one of them.

A resident asked me what this means, this walk out. Would Segarra run as an independent? Could he run as a Democrat against another Democrat? Would his people be coming back? Why would someone who wants power decline the nomination?

On social media, someone joked that if Segarra really wanted to send a message, he would’ve had the power cut to Bulkeley for the remainder of the convention. The power stayed on, but the microphones became increasingly useless as the night wore on, with no apparent attempts to fix them. With it a struggle to hear the dozens of votes being cast later on, particularly by individuals refusing to get out of their seats to do so, it became clear that tally errors were going to be made.

But for now, the vote. Segarra’s supporters, largely from the third district, abstained from voting.

The only votes cast were for Bronin, with each one getting cheers. Adrian Texidor said he was giving his vote to “the candidate who’s still in the room.” Bronin raked in 49 votes with Rep. McCrory of the 7th district (north Hartford, area that includes the stadium) casting the final vote. Those 49 votes were cast across the three major racial/ethnic groups represented in Hartford.

Bronin, surrounded by his family, gave an acceptance speech.

“This election is not about what someone looks like. It’s not about where they’re born,” he said, to deafening cheers. “This city is capable of great things,” Bronin said.

“To those who say they’re taking it to the streets, I say ‘Welcome.'”

The Rest of the Show

With the mayoral endorsement in, much of the audience and media left, opting for dinner over democracy. Those who remained were able to see that Adam Cloud, who got a federal subpoena last week, was given the endorsement for City Treasurer. Again, it would seem that the voting was moving along, but then the City Council nominations began.

Thirteen were nominated, including one individual whose name nobody could decide on. As an outsider, it seemed surprising that updated, factual information about those on the DTC was not widely known to others on the same committee. Those who made the nomination list include: John Gale, Thomas (TJ) Clarke, rJo Winch, Giselle (Gigi) Feliciano, Raul DeJesus, Laury Rosario, Julio Concepción, Glendowlyn Thames, Ken Kennedy, David MacDonald, Kyle Anderson, James (Jimmy) Sanchez, and Ramón Espinoza.

The early voting heavily favored Gale, Winch, Kennedy, Thames, and Concepción.

One might believe how this works is that every person casts his or her six votes (or fewer), the votes are tallied, and there are clear winners, or at least some ties to sort out.

No.

What happens is that the mic failure means nobody can hear over the din of a few hundred people in an auditorium. People cast some of their votes, but pass on the remainder. When their turn comes around again, they can dole out those remaining votes.

Add to this confusion that people are reading names off of lists, that they are not remembering who they voted for, that some have already voted as much as they can vote. That people start changing votes. Some won’t give their district or only refer to the candidate by a first name. In some cases, a nickname is given. The people on stage, tallying everything, have different levels of awareness regarding who is who in Hartford politics.

While this is going on, some of the young children dragged into this — who had been patient and well-behaved for the first four hours — are now starting to show signs that they are children, not robots. It’s past their bedtime and they are bored. The DTC secretary pleads for a bathroom break, something that probably should have been arranged in between action items, but which nobody thought to do. After it becomes clear that most in the room didn’t diaper up for the occasion, a break is hesitantly granted. This stretches on for nearly twenty minutes. During that time, nobody attempted to fix the poor audio situation. People continue to lose track of who they voted for already.

This goes on until late. Around midnight, the endorsements are granted: Clarke, Concepción, Gale, Sanchez, Thames, and Winch.

Last time around, the Democrats failed to endorse a single woman. This time, they allowed two into the club, a club that does not include anyone currently on City Council.

There were still endorsements to be made for Constables and Judge of Probate. Those young girls who borrowed my phone because they desperately wanted to play games? They did not get to leave until after 1 in the morning.

More Than the Segarra-Bronin Show

While in the midst of a convention, it may seem that the outside world has ceased to exist, but in reality, there are other candidates. Additionally, we heard that someone who failed to get the nod for City Council may go ahead to challenge Cloud for Treasurer.  The Republicans endorsed Ted Cannon for mayor; they also endorsed Gail Billet, Nyesha McCauley, and Russell Williams. The Working Families Party plans to run three for City Council, with the possibility of a fourth. With months to go, it’s limitless how many people can enter and leave the race if they should decide they do not want or need the endorsement of Hartford’s most powerful political party.