Strong Slate Announces Primary Qualification

Activist and Democratic Mayoral candidate Alicia Hernandez Strong has announced that she has qualified for a Democratic Mayoral primary.

Strong and Democratic leader Veronica T. DeLandro had announced that they would collect signatures to challenge Rep. Bobby Sanchez (D-25) in a primary for the Democratic nomination for Mayor.

It is not clear whether DeLandro has obtained enough signatures to qualify for a primary, but the counting process continues, Democratic Registrar of Voters and former Mayor Lucian Pawlak said.

Rep. Sanchez was endorsed by the New Britain Democratic Party’s Town Committee at its meeting on July 26, 2021.

“Some campaigns have establishment support, or money, or powerful connections,” Strong said, “but we have the people. “It is with the people’s support that I formally challenge Bobby Sanchez to a public and live debate about our different visions for New Britain.”

Strong’s campaign said that her campaign is, “the only campaign in this primary with a 100% volunteer operation,” adding that, “Strong and the People’s Slate knocked more than 5,000 doors across the city, collecting close to 1,000 signatures during the petitioning process and registering dozens of new voters, showing the strength of the grassroots movement they have built so far.”

Strong announced that she had qualified with her “People’s Slate” including Richard Lacourciere and Nate Simpson, who are challenging for the Democratic nomination for At-Large City Council. They are challenging five Democrats who were endorsed by the Democratic Town Committee for the At-Large seats, Ald. Chris Anderson (D-AL), Amy Labas-Barbosa, Ald. Richard Reyes (D-AL), Ald. Francisco Santiago (D-5) and current Board of Education Member, Dr. Violet Jiménez Sims (D).

“All across New Britain,” Simpson said, “working people have told me how excited they are — not only for a government who truly understands their struggles, but also for a real commitment to transparency and transformation.”

Lacourciere said that, “We have always believed that real change comes not from rubbing elbows behind closed doors, but instead from everyday people coming together to demand a government that works for all of us.”

The Democratic Primary is to be on September14, 2021.

In other news, it appears that Board of Education Vice-President Nick Mercier (R) has qualified to run as a petitioning candidate in the November general election, having not been endorsed for re-election by the Republican Party’s Town Committee. The general election petition would not cause a Republican primary, but would place Mercier on the general election ballot.

Al Mayo appears to have qualified as a petition candidate in the November election for Mayor.