Author Archives: Charles Enloe

It’s almost over. More than seven months after he began his quest to fill the vacant seat of departing Ward 1 Alderman Julio Gonzalez ’99, Ben Healey ’04 is on the brink of finally winning a two-year term on the Board of Aldermen. Healey became interim Ward 1 alderman in July after the early resignation »

As fund raising for New Haven’s mayoral election hurtles toward record levels, Republican Joel Schiavone ’58 has proposed several changes to the city’s campaign finance system. But Mayor John DeStefano Jr. said Schiavone’s calls for banning contributions from city workers and holders of city contracts are merely cover for a lack of support within the »

Six members of Congress will not fit in five districts. It’s a simple mathematical fact, but it is one that a group of state senators and representatives will have to grapple with as they redraw Connecticut’s districts. Last year’s census figures showed the state’s population had risen too slowly to maintain its six seats in »

Continuing to play the roll of reformer, Mayor John DeStefano Jr. returned campaign donations from Sal Brancati, the scandal-marred former director of the city’s Office of Business Development, and John Horvath Jr., owner of Grasso Associates. Horvath has admitted to paying Brancati and an associate over $77,000 to steer business to his financial planning firm, »

In its first meeting since last week’s terrorist attacks, the Board of Aldermen took up the mundane business of the city Tuesday night, but reminders of the national tragedy were everywhere. After passing several technical and financial measures, the board unanimously passed a resolution condemning the attacks and committing New Haven’s resources to the rescue »

Not all Republicans are alike. Raising an issue rarely championed by his party, GOP mayoral candidate Joel Schiavone ’58 announced Wednesday his support for an expanded living wage ordinance in New Haven. Speaking to a small group in front of Woodbridge Hall, Schiavone called for a law that goes beyond New Haven’s current requirement that »

The day after Mayor John DeStefano Jr. won his fifth Democratic mayoral nomination in a landslide victory over state Sen. Martin Looney, New Haven’s Democratic leaders reacted to the large margin of victory and said they do not think the brutal campaign will preclude members of the party from working together in the future. Wednesday, »

Mayor John DeStefano Jr. won his fifth Democratic mayoral nomination Tuesday night in a landslide victory over state Sen. Martin Looney — a win overshadowed by the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. At the end of the day, a campaign widely considered to be the closest in a decade ended with DeStefano winning »

New Haven’s hospitals prepared to receive casualties, residents jammed the train station and police were out in force following the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. The city in recent weeks had been buzzing about today’s Democratic mayoral primary, but suddenly the importance of the showdown between Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and state Sen. »

After an arduous and contentious campaign, New Haven voters will go to the polls today to cast ballots in the city’s most competitive — and costly — Democratic mayoral primary in a decade. The bitter battle between the four-term incumbent Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and the 21-year state legislature veteran Sen. Martin Looney has divided »

Everybody loves a rematch. Residents of the Dixwell neighborhood and students in Ezra Stiles and Morse colleges will soon get to experience one first-hand. Just four years after Grace Gibbs defeated scandal-tarnished incumbent Mae Ola Riddick to represent Ward 22 on the Board of Aldermen, the two will square off in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. The »

Since returning to campus last week, Yale students have been bombarded with political signs, voter registration drives and cars and trucks blaring campaign messages over loudspeakers. Don’t expect it to subside for a couple more days. As Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary approaches, supporters of Mayor John DeStefano Jr. and state Sen. Martin Looney are gearing »