Row B’s introductory mailer hit mailboxes last week, touting “energetic, experienced leadership.” A previous Bloomfield Speaks post (“An Expensive Pattern of Interference with Town Staff”) detailed Rickford Kirton’s and Suzette DeBeatham-Brown’s record of harassing Town Managers and Staff while on Town Council.
This post examines Row B TPZ candidate Troy Mitchell’s record as Democratic Registrar of Voters (ROV). Mitchell was appointed in January 2022 to finish Sharon Dexler’s term after she resigned from the position. But when Mitchell launched his own campaign in May for a new term beginning in January 2023, he was not successful.
Why not?
Shortly after Mitchell was appointed in January, 17 Bloomfield Democrats gathered the required number of registered Democratic signatures for a Democratic Town Committee Primary. Mitchell accused the group (and Democrats circulating petitions on their behalf) of forging signatures and invalidated the petitions. The group engaged Civil Rights Attorney Alex Taubes and filed a lawsuit against Mitchell.
At the urging of the Town of Bloomfield’s attorneys, Mr. Mitchell agreed to a settlement, agreeing that he would certify the signatures. But he backed out of the settlement and then lost his case in court. Quoting from the Hartford Courant: https://www.courant.com/2022/03/09/registrars-rejection-of-bloomfield-democratic-primary-petition-was-clearly-wrong-judge-finds-after-trial/
“Superior Court Judge Matthew Joseph Budzik on Tuesday ordered that a primary for the Democratic Town Committee be held on March 22. Budzik found at a recent trial that registrar Troy Mitchell’s assessment of fraud on nominating petitions was “clearly wrong.””
The result of the primary was that all 17 of the petitioning Democrats were elected to the DTC. Not surprisingly, when Mitchell asked for the DTC’s endorsement for Democratic ROV in May he did not get it.
Why this mattered
Judge Budzik’s decision was an important one in Connecticut election law. Civil Rights Attorney Taubes recently posted these remarks on his Linked in page:https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alexander-taubes-9b17a095_home-activity-7367887911914053632-Rz5S?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAEyBp4sBs6A8j3kYu2D5JzmdkeCu9Cvuoa8
“Over the past several years, I’ve had the privilege of litigating some of Connecticut’s most important election law cases—fights that go to the heart of who gets to run, who gets to vote, and how democracy is practiced in our state….
In Bloomfield, I represented grassroots Democrats whose petitions for the town committee were improperly rejected. We forced the town to hold a primary, ensuring that party insiders couldn’t silence ordinary members.”
Who were the “party insiders trying to silence ordinary members?”
One indication is those who collected petition signatures for Mitchell when he challenged the DTC’s endorsed candidate, Jennifer Marshall-Nealy. Two of those individuals were Suzette DeBeatham-Brown and Rickford Kirton. Why would anyone support a candidate who tried to suppress access to the ballot, backed out of a lawsuit settlement, and then lost that lawsuit?
Mitchell also violated the Town Code of Ethics when he launched his campaign using Town of Bloomfield
resources. Kevin Rennie noticed this impropriety and commented in his “Daily Ructions” post: https://www.dailyructions.com/bloomfield-democratic-registrar-of-voters-uses-town-resources-to-launch-campaign/
“Bloomfield’s fractious local politics continues. On Wednesday, Democratic Registrar of Voters Troy Mitchell announced his campaign for a full term with an e-mail and attached “a resume of accomplishments.” The long list was written on Town of Bloomfield stationary. Mitchell’s email was sent from his Bloomfield town government account. A registrar ought to know better.
Registrars are called upon to understand and apply detailed election laws. Mitchell has struggled to grasp those rules. A Superior Court judge overturned Mitchell’s arbitrary decision to reject primary petitions from a Democratic Town Committee challenge slate earlier this year. All the challengers were elected in a court-ordered April primary.”
Why is Troy Mitchell running for TPZ?
That’s a good question. As far as anyone knows Mr. Mitchell has never demonstrated any interest in the TPZ. What exactly are his credentials?
Discover more from Bloomfield Speaks
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.