{news} Shapiro in 8/21 Stamford Times

[David Bedell]

This article from the August 21 Stamford Times is basically a rehash of the 
article I posted about Andrew Cote from sister paper The Norwalk Hour, 
August 13.

As an update on Andrew's petition attempt:  I've found out he was only 10 
signatures, not 15, short of the required 158.  Tomorrow I'm getting the 
Norwalk voter list to see if there was any error in validating signatures.

--David


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Greens nominate Shapiro as candidate for mayor

By A.J. O'Connell
Staff Writer

Darek Shapiro, an environmental architect and supporter of clean energy, has 
now officially tossed his hat into the mayoral ring.  Shapiro officially 
accepted the nomination of the Green Party at their nominating convention on 
Thursday evening at the downtown TidBit Lounge on Bank Street.  Close to 20 
of the party faithful turned out to support Shapiro's nomination.

“I think the existing mayor is doing an ok job,” said Shapiro, addressing 
his supporters. “It’s not good enough. We are not in okay times.”

Shapiro, 52, who has criticized Mayor Dannel Malloy’s environmental record, 
pledged to clean up the city’s air, water, and natural spaces, while 
convincing downtown businesses to invest in clean energy.

“We need to show them how Green also means profit,” he said.

Shapiro, who helped push through an ordinance that has pledged that the city 
will be using 20 percent clean energy by 2010, also promised to build more 
affordable housing, and address healthcare issues.

The Greens’ convention was more of a formality than anything else.  As of 
the previous morning, both Shapiro and the regional Green Party secretary 
David Bedell, who is running for constable, had already qualified with the 
office of the City Clerk to appear on the ballot.

According to City Clerk Donna Loglisci, both Shapiro and Bedell submitted 
their petitions late Wednesday morning. Both collected more than the 
required 183 signatures that will get them on the ballot.

On the petition that will allow Shapiro to run for mayor and candidate Trish 
Haines Dayan to run for Board of Education, the men collected 230 
signatures. On Bedell’s petition he collected 217 signatures.

“They did very well,” said Loglisci.

The petitions were certified by Loglisci and the Registrars of Voters on 
Wednesday.

Loglisci now has 10 days to submit the petitions to the Secretary of the 
State. The candidates will then receive letters from the State, telling them 
that they are officially candidates in the race.

Bedell, a local cyclist who also accepted the Green Party nomination on 
Thursday, said that as constable, he will deliver writs and legal documents 
throughout the city by bicycle.

“A vote for me is a vote to take another car off the road,” he said.

Dayan, who was not present, submitted a statement for the evening, promising 
to build grassroots involvement of parents in the school system and promote 
equal opportunities within Stamford Schools.

“As a school board member,” she wrote, “I would place emphasis on an 
administrative system that enables teachers to do their best work for the 
children.”

Not all of those nominated on Thursday will be able to get onto the ballot.

Andrew Cote, who was nominated by the Green Party as a candidate for 
constable, will not make it onto the ballot this year.

Although the Green Party collected 186 signatures for Cote, the Norwalk Town 
Clerk's Office said that many of the signatures were not valid.

"A lot of them were not registered voters," said Jill Champaigne, an 
assistant town clerk. "You have to be registered when you sign the 
petition."

Champaigne said that 143 of the signatures collected on Cote's petition were 
valid. He needed 158 to get onto the ballot.

The news came as a blow to Cote, who had just returned on Thursday after 
spending two months in Iraq.

Bedell, who was in charge of collecting Cote's signatures, said that Cote 
would still be able to run for constable as a write-in candidate, but Cote 
said that he would rather not take that option.

"It looks like I won't be on the ballot this year," he said.

This is the first time that the regional Green Party has put up mayoral 
candidate in Stamford. Many of those at the convention commiserated about 
how difficult it is for a third-party candidate to get noticed during 
election season.

Patricia Kane, the local attorney who ran against Rep. James Shapiro in 
144th district last November, said that it’s hard for a third party 
candidate to get recognition during a campaign.

Petitioning candidates are often steamrolled by the major parties, which 
have deeper pockets and, according to Kane, are often beholden to their 
financial backers.

“That’s why I’m with the Green Party,” she said.

“Now the little guy has a shot,” said Bedell.


A.J. O’Connell via e-mail at aoconnell@ thehour.com