Merrill Gay Wins Democratic Party Mayoral Endorsement

Democratic Board of Education member Merrill Gay was unanimously endorsed by the New Britain Democratic Party to be the Democratic nominee for Mayor of New Britain.

The Democratic Town Committee, the elected body representing city Democrats, held its 2017 nomination meeting at 7:00pm on July 20th at City Hall.

In accepting the endorsement, Gay talked about creating jobs for city residents and improving the local economy, neighborhood quality of life, education and housing policy. He discussed the problems of simultaneous high taxes and low investment in public services, especially education.

A longtime education advocate, Gay discussed that New Britain has among the lowest education spending per student and the lowest educational performance in the state.

He rallied fellow Democrats to campaign for a improvements he said he will champion as Mayor.

Democrats also endorsed former Acting Schools Superintendent Ron Jakubowski for the position of City Treasurer and Lanette Spranzo Macaruso for the position of Tax Collector.

In the only controversial moment of the meeting, incumbent Republican Mark Bernacki was cross-endorsed by the Democratic Town Committee for his current position as Town Clerk.

Current 3rd Ward Ald. Emmanuel Sanchez was selected to run for City Council At-Large. He is joined on the Democrats’ At-Large Council slate by former Ald. Eva Magnuszewski, Yvonne Muniz, Katie Breslin and Richard Reyes.

City residents elect five City Council members citywide, or “At-Large”. Ten Council members are elected, two each from five Council “wards”.

In Ward 1, Democrats endorsed Veronica DeLandro and Molly McGuire.

In Ward 2, Lamar Bowsky and Brian Keith Albert were endorsed for the Democratic nomination.

In Ward 3, Aram Ayalon and Iris Sanchez were endorsed.

In Ward 4, Bobby Berriault and Michael Gendron received the endorsement.

In Ward 5, current Democratic Council leader Carlo Carlozzi, Jr. was endorsed for re-election and Francisco Santiago was endorsed as a new Council candidate.

For Board of Education, Democrats endorsed incumbent Daisy R. Sanchez, Violet Sims and Annie S. Parker

Tom Shields, Willie Justiniano, Patrice Smith and Peter Spano were endorsed for Constable, while Wyatt Bosworth and Georgette Cicero were endorsed for Board of Assessment Appeals.

Under Democratic Party rules and state law, candidates who are endorsed by the party become the official Democratic nominees if no one files a petition to challenge for the nomination by August 9th. If a petition is filed with enough signatures from registered Democrats, then the nomination is decided in a September 12th primary.