After Blocking DeLandro Vote, Republicans Continue “Search”

After blocking a vote to appoint Democrat Veronica T. DeLandro to the City Council, Republicans are continuing their “search,” and say they looking to have a January vote on the seat.

On December 9, 2020, on an apparently party-line vote, the Republican-controlled Council voted to block a vote from being held on a resolution for DeLandro to succeed Representative-Elect Manny Sanchez (D-24) in the Council seat to which he was elected in 2019. Rep.-Elect Sanchez was recently elected as the Twenty-Fourth District State Representative, succeeding Senator-Elect Rick Lopes (D-6) in that seat.

Facing criticism for blocking the DeLandro appointment, and for the vague process Republicans claimed to be following to “search” for a candidate to complete Rep.-Elect Sanchez’s term of office, Republican Council leader, Ald. Daniel Salerno (R-AL) now says that he, “would hope that a decision will be made the first January 2021 Council meeting, Wednesday, January 13, 2021, and no later than January 27, 2021, the second meeting of the month.”

Salerno’s announcement came two days after Andy McIndoo, Chair of the New Britain Democratic Party, issued a statement, “calling on Alderman Salerno and the Republican caucus to make this an open and transparent process.”

“We need to stop playing political games with matters as important as this,” McIndoo said. “To shut the Democratic Party out of who will be the next Democrat to serve our city is wrong. This is not a process that should be allowed to happen behind closed doors. And it is clear through public participation during meetings that the people support Veronica DeLandro. She is the right leader at the right time!”

The Republicans’ action against DeLandro’s appointment came despite a two and a half hour long Council public participation session in which forty-five people gave resounding support in favor of DeLandro.

Salerno says, “it’s important that we put a timeframe on this process,” announcing that Republicans will close their “search” on December 30th.

Just two days before the Council was set to vote on DeLandro’s appointment, Republican Mayor Erin Stewart called for a “search” for the seat, setting off widespread speculation that Republicans planned to pass over DeLandro and name their own candidate for the seat. “Let the search commence!” said Stewart, calling attention to the earlier effort by Salerno, “searching for a vacancy candidate,” despite wide support for DeLandro to succeed Sanchez.

Rep.-Elect Sanchez, himself, as well as the Democratic Town Committee and all six Council Democrats, are supporting DeLandro to succeed Rep.-Elect Sanchez on the Council.

In recent weeks, Rep.-Elect Sanchez posted a video on Facebook on why he is supporting DeLandro to complete the term on the Council he was elected to. He has been joined by the other Democratic members of the City Council in supporting DeLandro. DeLandro posted a video on why she is seeking the position. She has been supported by Senator-elect Lopes, State Representative Peter Tercyak (D-26), State Representative Bobby Sanchez (D-25), Board of Education member Violet Jiménez Sims (D), Democratic City Treasurer Ron Jakubowski (D) and others.

Since Rep.-Elect Sanchez was elected as a Democrat, the person appointed to complete the remainder of the two-year Council term he was elected to in 2019 must be registered to vote in Democratic Party primaries. But with control of the New Britain Council, Republicans have the power to overrule the Democratic Party’s own choice and name someone loyal to the Stewart-led Republican political machine, instead.

The Republicans’ decision to block the resolution to appoint DeLandro, by tabling the resolution, has sparked wide indignation and calls for organizing to support DeLandro and hold New Britain Republicans accountable.

Activists have been organizing for continuing action to advocate for DeLandro and for public disclosure by Republicans of the process that they allege to be following, as well as of the resumes for other candidates Salerno claimed to possess before the Council meeting on December 9th.

Republicans have been quoted as explaining their justification for passing over DeLandro in favor of another choice as that, “it’s a numbers game.” With Sanchez’ resignation, Republicans presently hold an 8 to 6 majority on the Council.

Retorting to the, “numbers game,” comment, activists have been looking toward the 2021 city elections, now less than a year away.

“#YourSeatIsNotSafe,” one person said. “#VoterMobilizationOnDeck,” said another.

Supporters of DeLandro have been organizing around the hashtag, #VTD4NB.

DeLandro has served as District Director for Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (D-5) and now provides consulting, training and coaching to nonprofit organizations at VTD Consulting Group, which she founded. She previously had a career at ESPN before she began working with organizations with a focus on philanthropy, college access and mentoring.

DeLandro ran for City Council in 2017, very nearly winning an upset victory in an uphill race in the City’s First Ward, where Republicans have historically had the advantage in city level elections, and then was selected as the City Council’s first woman and first African American Clerk of Committees. She has also previously served on the city’s Youth & Family Services Commission and the school system’s Graduation Odyssey Task Force.

A longtime community leader, DeLandro is on the Executive Board of the NAACP New Britain Branch and serves on the Board of the YWCA New Britain, co-chairing the YWCA’s Policy Committee. She is a founding member of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving’s Black Giving Circle, and her biography notes her roles as, “Connecticut State Coordinator for the Eastern Region of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Recording Secretary for the North Atlantic Region of the National Hampton Alumni Association, Inc. and Technology Chair for the Greater Hartford Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.”

DeLandro was one of Connecticut Magazine‘s “40 under 40” of rising leaders, recognized for her leadership at the Inaugural MIP (Minority Inclusion Project) Honors Gala and was named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Blacks by the New Britain NAACP.

DeLandro is married and has two children.