At Least 1 of 3 Candidates Passed Over by Party Plans to Petition

Update: Aug. 5, 2 p.m.

At 11:30 a.m., the Middletown registrar alerted Stephen Devoto that she had verified 620 signatures on petitions to get his name on the ballot for the Sept. 10 primary. 

"We started only 11 days ago," according to an email from Devoto. "I confess I was full of doubt about the feasibility of this quickly getting signatures from 5 percent of the registered Dems in our city. But as soon as I started, I drew energy and determination from almost everybody who took the time to speak with me, whether they were in support or in opposition to my candidacy. And I was thrilled beyond words to have so many of you volunteer to collect signatures for me." 

Original Story

Middletown's two major party nominating conventions in mid-July left two longtime GOP councilmen vying for re-election and a Democratic zoning board hopeful without endorsements.

At least one of the three — Wesleyan University professor and Middletown Eye correspondent Stephen Devoto — is petitioning to primary for the P&Z seat on Sept. 10 if he gets enough signatures by the Aug. 7 deadline.

At the Democratic nominating convention on July 18, Devoto's name was recommended from the floor, but he failed to garner enough votes to earn his party's support.

At the Republican nominating committee on July 16, Minority Leader Philip J. Pessina and former Deputy Mayor Joe Bibisi's names were not selected. When party members recommended them from the floor, neither secured enough votes to make the Republican slate.

Three-term Councilman Pessina told Middletown Patch Friday he and Bibisi, who's been a councilman since 2001, are considering a primary bid and would make a decision early next week.

Devoto, who is hoping to primary for the city's Planning and Zoning Commission seat, has set up a Facebook page to alert supporters where he will be gathering signatures.

In a letter posted to his new candidate Facebook page, Devoto told Democratic Town Committee Chair Daniel Pickett that he has more than "15 years intensive experience with Middletown land use decisions." (see full PDF attached).

"The two most important activities of city government are education and land use regulation. Other city actions like snow removal, public safety, and water supply are obviously important, but their impact rarely extends beyond the lifecycle of an election. In contrast, land use decisions shape the nature of our city for generations to come," Devoto wrote on his Facebook page.

He's already visited Stop & Shop and Klekolo World Coffee in Middletown.

Jim Fellows (who can be contacted at jim.fellows.1232@facebook.com) is also circulating the petition to registered Middletown Democrats and has offered to do house calls this weekend.

Twelve days remain for Devoto to secure a total of 519 signatures to force a primary, or 5 percent of the registered Democrats who voted on Election Day 2012, according to the Connecticut Secretary of the State's office. He has already 100 voters supporting him on the petition.

Meanwhile, a Republican primary petition candidate would need 166 signatures, according to Darlene Ghezzi of the Middletown registrar's office. 

Devoto asks those interested in signing his petition call him at (860) 754-4752.