Mayor Nancy Rossi overcame a challenge for her own party’s nomination, Tuesday, beating challenge candidate John Lewis. In a relatively light turnout, Rossi topped Lewis by 500 votes, 1830-1380. She will now face Republican Barry Lee Cohen, a Republican, and former Mayor Edward O’Brien in the Nov. 2 general election.
Apart from one candidate, Rossi’s coattails were able to pull her slate across the finish line, Tuesday.
In the GOP’s only primary, Colleen O’Connor won her runoff to be one of the party’s nominees for Councilman-at-large. O’Connor was denied the nomination in July when incorrect names were placed on caucus ballots.
Lewis attempted to make the campaign hinge on the steady tax increases seen under the Rossi administration. While that seemed to attract some voters, most seemed to understand the Municipal Accountability Review Board, the panel that has overseen city finances since the day Rossi took office in 2017, was pushing for the levy hikes.
Rossi, on the other hand, pushed her record and the rebound the city has seen in the last few years after undertaking the austerity measures, she put into place. It is expected she will continue this track during the general election.
Waiting in the wings is O’Brien, a Democrat, who opted to stay out of a three-way primary race and put all his chips on the general election. He has stated this was the only way he could keep his team of candidates together, pushing his agenda.
Cohen, meanwhile, is honing his campaign, and has planned a city Town Hall at the West Haven High School auditorium on Sept. 22. It is there Cohen’s unity agenda is expected to be discussed.
Your article is incorrect. O’Brien is out