Politics & Government

Race for Stratford's Next Mayor: Paul Looks to Force Party Primary

Democrats picked Beth Daponte at a caucus Wednesday night.

Stratford mayoral hopeful Joe Paul has three weeks to collect more than 500 signatures from active registered Democrats in order to force a party primary against Beth Daponte, who won the party’s endorsement against Paul by a 38 to 27 vote Wednesday night.

“The people in Stratford deserve the chance to choose their candidates,” Paul, a retired bank executive, said in a statement released after the Stratford Democratic Town Committee picked Daponte, a former college professor who recently worked at the United Nations.

“I am continuing my campaign,” Paul said. “Taxpayers in Stratford cannot afford the same old efforts."

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Democratic Registrar of Voters Rick Marcone, who voted for Daponte at the caucus Wednesday, said Paul has until Aug. 7 to gather at least 516 names to force a party primary in September.

If it comes to it, the winner of the primary will be the Democratic party’s candidate to go up against Republican incumbent Mayor John A. Harkins in the fall election.

Find out what's happening in Stratfordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“We are looking forward to bringing the campaign back to the people of Stratford,” Terry Masters, Paul’s campaign manager, said in the statement. “We have hundreds of volunteers who want to see better government in Town Hall and that’s what we’re going to do.”


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