WARNING: Row B Slate Could Drag Bloomfield Back into Chaos

Bloomfield voters face a pivotal choice in the upcoming 2025 Democratic primary and general election.One slate—Row B—is urging a return to power. But this is no ordinary political contest. The Row B team is comprised of familiar names with deeply troubling records and alliances. Their track record reveals sexual harassment, backroom power grabs, and entanglements with outside developers seeking favors. This is a slate that has destabilized Bloomfield’s governance before, and will do so again if given the opertunity. Below, we profile five key Row B candidates and why their return would be a grave mistake.

Rickford Kirton – Sexual Harassment and Defiance of Accountability

Rickford Kirton’s behavior has already breached the public trust in a serious way. A Town Hall employee lodged a sexual harassment complaint against Kirton after a 2022 event, where he allegedly came up from behind her, wrapped an arm around her, and repeatedly called her “my secret crush,” among other inappropriate remarks. This wasn’t a friendly gesture or a joke—it was unwelcome physical contact and verbal harassment toward a subordinate at a public function. An official investigation validated the employee’s complaint, finding Kirton’s conduct unprofessional and unacceptable. The town ordered Kirton to undergo anti-harassment training and to review the town’s ethics policy. Kirton flatly refused to comply. He ignored the mandated training and faced no meaningful consequences, displaying a shocking sense of impunity. Instead of apologizing or showing remorse, Kirton painted himself as the victim, claiming (without evidence) that the complaint was a political smear. This flagrant defiance of basic workplace ethics and accountability is disqualifying. If a Town Council member cannot respect boundaries and harasses a town employee, how can voters trust him with the power to make decisions for the whole community? Kirton’s return to Council would signal that Bloomfield tolerates abusive behavior from its leaders—and that is a message voters must never send.

Suzette DeBeatham-Brown – Power Grabs and Anti-Democratic Maneuvers

Former Mayor Suzette DeBeatham-Brown once held Bloomfield’s highest office, but her recent actions show a disturbing contempt for democratic process. Rather than accept the will of party voters, DeBeatham-Brown joined Kirton in attempting to suppress internal party elections to cling to power. In a notorious Democratic Town Committee struggle, she and her allies worked to invalidate petition signatures gathered by grassroots Democrats who challenged her faction’s control. Hundreds of party members wrote their names to demand an open election—only to have those names thrown out on dubious technicalities by Row B operatives. DeBeatham-Brown stood by as Registrar of Voters Troy Mitchell (a fellow Row B candidate) disqualified entire pages of signatures, concocting speculative reasons to discard them and shut out rank-and-file Democrats. This scheme was so egregious that a court stepped in and overturned the disqualifications. A judge found that the signatures had been rejected “out of pure speculation,” exposing the bad-faith tactics at play. It was a stinging rebuke and a win for democracy—but it never should have come to that. DeBeatham-Brown’s willingness to undermine her own party’s voters to preserve her influence is a red flag. As mayor, she should have fostered trust and transparency; instead, she’s aligned herself with Kirton’s divisive tactics. Bloomfield deserves leaders who encourage participation and fair play, not ones who rig the rules when it suits them.

Sydney Schulman – An Ex-Mayor Lending Legitimacy to Chaos

Sydney “Syd” Schulman is a long-time Bloomfield politician and former mayor who spent over a decade leading the town in years past. One might hope such an elder statesman would uphold integrity—but Schulman has sadly become an enabler and figurehead for the Row B slate’s worst tendencies. Instead of using his experience to guide Bloomfield forward, Schulman is lending his name and credibility to a faction that has sown instability and discord. He has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Rickford Kirton and Suzette DeBeatham-Brown, giving cover to their misconduct by appearing on their slate. Schulman even attached himself to Kirton’s crusade against the town budget this year: when Kirton led a “Vote No” referendum to torpedo Bloomfield’s budget, Schulman signed on as a plaintiff in the lawsuit seeking to overturn the results. Think about that—a former mayor suing his own town, trying to nullify a budget approved by the Town Council and essentially void the votes of residents who supported it. And for what? The failed referendum was per Kevin Gough

largely financed by luxury housing developers (the Zelman family’s real estate interests and a shell company, Jolley 2 LLC) angling for tax abatements and sweetheart deals. Rather than stand up for taxpayers, Schulman chose to side with these outside moneyed interests, helping Kirton spin a narrative to confuse voters about the budget. This isn’t statesmanship; it’s craven opportunism. Schulman’s presence on Row B may be intended to reassure voters due to his age and title, but make no mistake: he is actively abetting Row B’s scheme to regain power at any cost. His return to office would empower the very elements that drove Bloomfield into turmoil.

Joseph Washington – Old Guard Ally and Rubber Stamp

Joseph Washington, another Row B candidate, is a name many longtime Bloomfield residents will recognize. A former Town Council member, Washington has been around local government for years—yet his legacy is far from positive. Rather than distinguishing himself as an independent voice or a community champion, Washington has become a reliable rubber stamp for Kirton’s clique. He is known as a party insider who frequently aligned with Bloomfield’s old guard, prioritizing insider loyalty over the public good. When Kirton and DeBeatham-Brown were maneuvering to tighten their grip on power, Washington was right there in the mix, offering quiet support and legitimacy to their efforts. Now he’s been placed on the Row B slate, likely to project an image of seasoned leadership. But voters should see through this: Washington isn’t there to lead—he’s there to enable. His past council tenure was marked by go-along-to-get-along politics, rarely, if ever, challenging the questionable decisions made by his allies. Did Washington object when a sexual harassment complaint against Kirton was swept under the rug? No. Did he speak out when fellow Democrats’ signatures were tossed to block an internal vote? Not at all. Instead, Washington stayed loyal to the faction even as their actions hurt the town’s morale and reputation. In other words, he’s the kind of politician who stands by silently while bad actors run amok. Bloomfield can’t afford more silence or complicity on the Council. Electing Joseph Washington again would mean empowering a bystander at best—and a willing accomplice at worst—to Row B’s troubling agenda.

Troy Mitchell – Election Meddler and Kirton’s Foot Soldier

Troy Mitchell may not have the name recognition of a former mayor, but he has been quietly wielding power from the shadows as Bloomfield’s Democratic Registrar of Voters. Unfortunately, Mitchell has used that power not to protect democracy, but to undermine it on behalf of Kirton and DeBeatham-Brown’s faction. Mitchell was a central player in the party petition scandal mentioned earlier, acting as the hatchet man who disqualified scores of petition signatures in an attempt to cancel a Democratic primary challenge. In his official capacity as Registrar—the very official meant to ensure fair and accurate elections—Mitchell abused the public trust. He combed through petition sheets looking for excuses to invalidate them, targeting signatures of known reform-minded Democrats. His stated justifications were so flimsy that they collapsed under scrutiny. Indeed, when taken to court, Mitchell’s actions were roundly condemned; the judge found no legitimate reason for most of the disqualifications, calling Mitchell’s objections “pure speculation.” Facing legal defeat, Mitchell was forced to back down, and the democratic process he tried to stop was allowed to proceed.

But the damage was done—Mitchell showed that he was willing to sacrifice the rights of voters to benefit his Row B friends. Beyond that incident, Troy Mitchell’s alignment with Kirton’s group raises serious concerns about what he would do if elected to the Council. If he was comfortable meddling with ballots and petitions behind closed doors, imagine what he might do in the halls of government. Mitchell has proven he’ll put factional loyalty above fair play. Bloomfield voters should consider any candidate who attacks democracy itself as utterly unfit for office. Mitchell’s candidacy is no exception.

The “Vote No” Referendum – A Case Study in Misguided Priorities

Many of the above candidates were involved, directly or indirectly, in this year’s contentious budget referendum—an episode that perfectly encapsulates Row B’s toxic politics. Rickford Kirton spearheaded the “Vote No” campaign to reject the town’s budget, and Row B figures rallied behind it. They sold the referendum as a fight for fiscal responsibility and “transparency,” but as Kevin Gough indicated in his August 15th 2025 piece on page 10 of the Bloomfield Messenger, and from some initial evidence were were able to gather follow the money.

Every indication we’ve seen shows the crusade was bankrolled by luxury apartment developers who were angry that the Town Council (under Mayor Danielle Wong) hadn’t given them massive tax breaks. The Zelman family and Jolley 2 LLC, developers behind a high-end housing complex on Jolley Drive, poured funds into the Vote No effort hoping to install a friendlier Council that would grant them sweetheart deals. Row B is that friendlier Council they seek. Kirton and Schulman willingly became the faces of the developer-led referendum, stoking fear about the budget with misleading claims. They helped convince nearly two thousand residents to vote “no” on Bloomfield’s budget—only to accomplish nothing, since the turnout threshold wasn’t met. The referendum failed, but not before wasting town resources on a special vote and sowing confusion in the community. It also revealed Row B’s true allegiances. Rather than work constructively within the Council to adjust the budget or find savings, Kirton and his slate chose to side with outside business interests in a dramatic public stunt. Their loyalties lie with the people writing the checks (and it’s not everyday Bloomfield taxpayers). This is not principled leadership; it’s political sabotage at the expense of our town’s stability. Voters should remember who orchestrated this chaos when Row B comes knocking for support.

Conclusion: Not Politics as Usual – It’s a Fight for Bloomfield’s Soul

Row B’s candidates are trying to convince Bloomfield that they represent a viable alternative. Don’t buy it. This slate’s record reads like a warning label: sexual harassment ignored and excused; democratic participation stifled behind closed doors; town governance treated like a personal battleground; and shadowy financial backers pulling strings for favors. These are not normal policy differences or petty squabbles they are fundamental issues of integrity, safety, and trust in our local government. If we allow Row B to slip back into power, we risk rewinding to a darker time – a time when harassment complaints were hushed up and complainants were marginalized; when party insiders played games to keep themselves in charge; when council meetings descended into factional infighting; and when wealthy developers whispered in officials’ ears expecting lucrative deals in return.

Bloomfield deserves better than that. We deserve leaders who respect the people—employees, voters, taxpayers—over their own egos and benefactors. We deserve a Town Council that focuses on serving the public, not settling scores or rewarding friends. Every voter should ask: What message would it send to condone Kirton’s behavior? To reward DeBeatham-Brown and Mitchell’s election-rigging attempts? To let Schulman and Washington usher these bad actors back under the respectable banner of the Democratic Party? It would be nothing less than an endorsement of misconduct and mismanagement.

This year, send a clear message at the polls. Reject Row B’s attempt to regain control. Shine a light on their record of harassment, suppression, and backroom dealing, and tell them emphatically: Not this time. Bloomfield’s future—its integrity and its well-being—depends on keeping these individuals away from the levers of power. By voting against Row B, you will be voting for a safer, more honest, and more accountable local government. Don’t let our town be dragged backward by those who have already done it so much harm. Bloomfield can’t afford to go back. Let’s move forward with leaders we can trust.