by Thomas Breen
Ward 25 co-chairs Debbie Evans and Janis Underwood, at Edgewood School.
Uncontested Ward 1 alder candidate Elias Theodore with Hopkins student Annie Zhang outside the Elm Street library polling place.
The federal government shutdown was at the top of mind for Robert Kyle as he showed up to Edgewood School to vote in Tuesday’s municipal election.
That’s not because Donald Trump or anyone in Congress was on the ballot. Nevertheless, when he thinks about politics right now, Kyle said, he thinks about “the national scene” and the need to “bring democracy back.” And civility, too.
Kyle offered that national-minded take on Tuesday, when New Haven voters can cast their ballots in contested races for mayor, city clerk, the Board of Education (for half of the city), and alder (for seven of 30 wards.)
By 10:35 a.m., 350 people had voted at Ward 25’s Edgewood School polling place, out of the ward’s registered 2,784 voters. (That number doesn’t include the people who participated in early voting.) Ward 25 Democratic Ward Committee Co-Chair Debbie Evans said that, for most voters she’d spoken to Tuesday morning, “their mind is already on the midterm” — that is, the Congressional elections in 2026. “They’re thankful to be able to vote,” added fellow co-chair Janis Underwood.
Evans’ advice to the voting public: “Think globally, act locally.” Underwood’s: “Vote morality.”
An hour earlier, at the Ward 30 polling place at The Shack community center on Valley Street, West Rock and West Hills neighbors had a chance to vote not just in contested citywide races, but also in a contested aldermanic race, between incumbent Democrat Honda Smith and Republican challenger Perry Flowers.
Leonora Henderson said that she votes in every election. “We have an obligation” to vote, she said with pride about making sure to participate in local democracy.
“We have good leadership here. I think our mayor and alderperson are keeping us in mind.” She’d like to see more “seasonal things,” more holiday celebrations — like Christmastime parties hosted by the police for neighborhood kids.
Henderson noted that, as someone who grew up in Brookside, she’s “very disappointed” that the city’s school district closed Brennan-Rogers School — which, among other considerations, left the neighborhood with only one polling place instead of two.
A Hilltop Road resident who identified himself only by his first name, Ben, said that national politics — and the man in the White House — were major motivations in his decision to vote on Tuesday. “I’m sick of that shit in Washington,” he said. And, wearing a hat and windbreaker showing that he is a Vietnam veteran, Ben said about President Trump, “he ran away from Vietnam.”
Iva Johnson, a Ward 30 Democratic Ward Committee co-chair, stood outside of the polling place with Livable City Initiative (LCI) neighborhood specialist Ray Jackson. Both were making closing pitches for the Democratic ticket, including Smith for alder, Justin Elicker for mayor, and Michael Smart for city/town clerk.
“The Shack has really revitalized the community,” Johnson said about the community center that Smith has spearheaded the revival of. “It’s made the community stick our chest out” with pride. “We have youth coming in. We have senior programs. We have turkey dinners, music in the back,” an Arts & Ideas neighborhood fest. “We’re doing a lot to make sure this community is included in the rest of New Haven.”
An hour later, down at Ward 1’s polling place at the Elm Street library, Democratic aldermanic candidate Elias Theodore sat at a campaign table alongside Hopkins student Annie Zhang as he waited for voters to come to the polls. By 11:23 a.m., 29 out of the ward’s 1,734 had voted at the polls.
Theodore noted that the contested Sept. 9 Democratic primary for Ward 1 alder was a much busier election day than Tuesday, so far. Theodore noted that he has friends from North Carolina, California, and Virginia who came by to express support, but who didn’t change their voter registrations to New Haven because of the more pressing issues and races on the ballot in their home states, from gubernatorial contests to California’s redistricting ballot measure.
“Maybe in 2026 they’ll decide New Haven elections are more important” and worth changing their registrations for, he said.
That said, he’s had some productive conversations at the polls on Tuesday, including with a voter who pointed out how dangerous the crosswalk is on Temple Street between Chapel and Crown, near the Omni. He said this voter told him that drivers typically ignore that crosswalk, and there are “different plants and things getting in the way” of the side” of drivers seeing that this is a place where pedestrians cross. He said he looks forward to trying to tackle hyper-local quality of life concerns like that crosswalk, perhaps with better signage or a raised crossing.
Zhang, 16, is too young to vote, and so didn’t get to participate in Tuesday’s democratic process by casting a ballot. She has, however, been shadowing Theodore’s aldermanic campaign and Elicker’s mayoral campaign as part of “21st Century democracy” class she’s taking at the Westville private school. As part of that class, she and her peers have to participate in grassroots local politics — including, in her case, by tagging along for the Ward 1 alder and mayoral campaigns.
“It’s really inspiring to see how many people show up and volunteer,” she said about what she’s learned over the course of this election season. It’s been “so lovely to meet people and learn about their lives.”
The concern she’s heard most about at the doors and during the campaigns is education, and how best to improve New Haven’s public school system.
That said, she’s also been inspired by how many people actively participate in programs like New Haven Reads to help raise literacy rates among students across the city.
At the Shack.
Ward 30 voter Leonora Henderson: “We have an obligation” to vote.
Robert Kyle: Bring back civility, democracy.