Stating that “West Haven needs a new vision,” Republican Planning and Zoning Commissioner Steven R. Mullins announced his campaign for mayor on May 2 in a Facebook video.
“West Haven is in a financial crisis,” Mullins stated in the video. “Families are leaving town and businesses are closing. It just costs too much to raise a family and do business in the city.”
In the video, Mullins stated that West Haven has suffered under the one-party control of the Democratic Party for decades. Despite internal Democratic divisions and fights every few years for control of the party, Mullins said that the results were always the same, “financial disaster.”
Mullins has filed his campaign committee paperwork with the City Clerk’s Office and has begun raising money to fund his efforts.
“We are off to a strong fundraising start,” Mullins said, “and we have plans to run a very energetic, volunteer-oriented campaign that reaches out directly to the voters of West Haven.
He admitted party registration imbalances make it an uphill battle for a member of the GOP.
“Republicans may be outnumbered when it comes to party registration,” Mullins continued. “But there are thousands of voters who agree with my vision for a more affordable West Haven, and are willing to look beyond political parties. As the campaign progresses, we will be detailing my economic plan which will lead West Haven out of its financial crisis and toward a more affordable and prosperous future.”
Mullins, 44, resides in Allingtown. Mullins has a fundraising event scheduled for May 30 at the Poli House. More information on Mullins can be found at his campaign’s website, https://mullinsforwesthaven.com, and on its Facebook page, “Steven Mullins for West Haven.” Voters may contact Mullins at Steven@MullinsforWestHaven.com.
Three Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination, including current Mayor Nancy Rossi, former Mayor Ed O’Brien, and City Clerk Debbie Collins. Rossi and O’Brien have formally announced their campaigns, while Collins is still exploring a run. All three can either contend for the Democrat primary, petition directly onto the November ballot, or do both. None of the candidates has indicated which course they will take.
This is not the first attempt at the mayoralty for Mullins. In the 2000s, he ran for mayor under the GOP banner, but was defeated by then-Mayor John Picard.
The last Republican to have the city’s top spot was Clemente Evangeliste, who defeated incumbent Democrat Azelio “Sal” Guerra in a tight race in 1989. Evangeliste, a trucking company executive, ran on a platform of “running the city like a business.”
Unfortunately, his term was marred by financial problems that began under Guerra. The city was suffering from the home bubble that burst in 1988, and caused property values to plummet. Guerra’s final budget that year was bare-bones and set the stage for what was to come.
Under Evangeliste, his final budget in 1991 set off a tumultuous fight in his own party. The budget was seen as being out of balance with built-in shortfalls. The City Council, which included five Republicans, voted against the budget, which put it into effect under the city charter by default.
The 1991 election was won by eventual seven-term Mayor H. Richard Borer, Jr., and the city was forced to go under state control when it was discovered the city was $17 million in debt with payroll threatened. The city controlled the state for three years.
Since that time, the GOP has had little influence in city politics, despite the in-fighting that plagues the Democratic Party leadership.