Top 10 of 2020: #3 – Republicans Blocking DeLandro

The New Britain Progressive covered a lot of major news in New Britain during 2020 – much more than just ten top stories. As the New Britain Progressive now presents our traditional Top Ten stories of the year, it is truer now than in the past that it is difficult to name only a few articles as the top among a great deal of important news. But here are a few, in this year’s annual series, that the New Britain Progressive would like to share as our Top Ten. Other Top Ten stories can be found at “Top Ten Stories of 2020.”

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Democrats’ sweep to victory in the 2020 elections elevated Sen.-Elect Rick Lopes (D-6) from State Representative to the State Senate and the City Council’s Democratic leader, Rep.-Elect Manny Sanchez (D-24) to succeed Lopes in the State House of Representatives. And that, in turn, meant that the Sanchez’ At-Large seat on the Council would be filled by another Democratic leader.

Sanchez, himself, chose Democrat Veronica T. DeLandro, to succeed him on the Council. Democrats, from the other Democratic Council members, to Democratic state legislators, to the New Britain Democratic Party to others all agreed that DeLandro was their choice for the seat. (“Democrats Pressing for DeLandro to Succeed Sanchez on Council“.) The Democratic Council members then officially proposed that DeLandro take Sanchez’ place in the seven member Democratic Council caucus, elected by voters in 2019. (“DeLandro Officially Proposed for Council Seat“.)

Democrats found DeLandro’s credentials substantial – from having served as District Director for Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (D-5), to starting her own own business, to multiple leadership positions in New Britain and other community and charitable organizations to her leadership and stature in the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

But, Republicans, it turned out, appeared to have designs on taking Sanchez’ Council seat, themselves – thereby increasing their Council majority from eight to nine. While the seat must be filled by someone who is registered to vote in Democratic Party primaries, Republicans, with the Council majority, have the power to overrule the Democratic Party’s own choice and name someone loyal to the Stewart Republican political machine, instead.

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, (“Just Two Days Before DeLandro Vote, Stewart Calls for ‘Search’“) 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 Republican Council Majority Leader Daniel Salerno (R-AL), “searching for a vacancy candidate,” (“Ignoring DeLandro, Republican Council Leader Seeks Candidates to Succeed Sanchez“) despite wide and growing support for DeLandro to succeed Sanchez.

One party naming someone to fill a vacancy in a seat held by the other party is not unheard of in New Britain. Democrats have done it, as well as Republicans, a fact columnist John McNamara noted (“New Britain Common Council Vacancy: An Opportunity For Bipartisan Cooperation“). Saying that, “it’s instructive to go back to 2008 when a Democratic Council majority acted badly over a vacancy on the Board of Education,” McNamara said that, “The pending Council vacancy is an opportunity to set aside a political power play and partisan grudges that would usurp the will of voters.”

But, despite such calls and the wide support for DeLandro, including a two and a half hour long Council public participation session in which forty-five people gave resounding support in favor of her, Council Republicans passed over her selection by tabling the Democrats’ resolution to appoint her. (“Republicans Set Aside DeLandro Council Appointment“.) Instead, Republicans said they were continuing their “search” (“After Blocking DeLandro Vote, Republicans Continue ‘Search’“), while DeLandro’s support continued to grow (“DeLandro Supporters Fired Up and Organizing“).

Republicans’ moves against DeLandro have not diminished her at all, but have, instead, brought more attention to her substantial qualifications and leadership capabilities – greatly increasing her stature as a leader in the community and of the Democratic Party in New Britain. And that makes this late-year development one of the New Britain Progressive‘s Top Ten Stories of 2020.

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DeLandro Supporters Fired Up and Organizing

November 12, 2020

Supporters of Democrat Veronica T. DeLandro are organizing in the wake of a Republican decision to block her appointment to the City Council.

In an apparently party-line vote, the Republican controlled Council voted to table a resolution proposed by Council Democrats for DeLandro to succeed Representative-Elect Manny Sanchez (D-24) for the remainder of the Council term to which he was elected in 2019. Rep.-Elect Sanchez was elected in November to the State House of Representatives.

The Republicans’ action 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. Rep.-Elect Manny Sanchez (D-24), the New Briain Democratic Party and all six current Council Democrats are supporting DeLandro to succeed Rep.-Elect Sanchez as a Council member.

The Republicans’ decision to pass over DeLandro has sparked wide indignation and calls for organizing to support DeLandro and hold New Britain Republicans accountable.

Many people are criticizing the process city Republicans claim to be following for selecting a successor to Rep.-Elect Sanchez, and are calling for transparency about what that process even is.

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 someone loyal to them to the seat.

“Let the search commence!” said Stewart, calling attention to the earlier effort by the Republican Council Leader, Ald. Daniel Salerno (R-AL), “searching for a vacancy candidate,” despite wide support for DeLandro to succeed Sanchez.

Salerno has been a frequent focus of criticism and ire for interposing himself as a “gatekeeper” to the process of choosing the new Council member.

Since Rep.-Elect Sanchez is a Democrat, the person appointed to complete the remainder of the two-year At-Large 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 Democrats’ own choice and name someone loyal to the Stewart Republican political machine, instead.

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.

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 the resumes for other candidates Salerno claimed to possess before the Council meeting on December 9th.

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.

In recent weeks, DeLandro posted a video on why she is seeking the position. Rep.-Elect Sanchez also posted a video on Facebook on why he is supporting DeLandro to complete the term on the Council he was elected to. He was been joined by his former Democratic colleagues on the City Council in supporting DeLandro.

DeLandro 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.

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.