Young Forces Norwalk Democratic Primary, Sets Stage for Mayoral Showdown

NORWALK, Conn. — Common Council Member Darlene Young has collected enough signatures to force a Democratic primary in Norwalk’s mayoral race, setting up a rare contest between two sitting Council members.

Stuart W. Wells III, the Democratic Registrar, reported over 1,300 signatures to NancyonNorwalk on Thrusday, well above the 1,033 required to trigger a primary, effectively ensuring that voters will head to the polls on Sept. 9.

Without Young’s petition effort, the party’s endorsement would have guaranteed the nomination for Common Council member Barbara Smyth, who was backed by the local Democratic Town Committee last month.

Young said she believes her campaign gathered “at least [to] the 1,500 mark” in signatures.

“The team and I, we put in a lot of work,” she said. “It’s a difficult thing to do in such a short period of time, and so we wanted to make sure that we reached that goal. And my volunteers and the community made, you know, ensured that for us. It was a lot of work, but we got it done.”

She said gathering far more than the required number of signatures was intentional.

“Sometimes when people think they’re registered one way, they’re not,” Young said. “And so to just ensure that you get the number of signatures that are required, it just only makes sense to get a few more to make sure that you reach that goal. Because what you don’t want is to think that everyone… is aware of their voting status and their party affiliation, but sometimes that isn’t the case.”

“Each step of this way is a hurdle, you know, the line to cross in a race,” she added. “And so we’ve successfully crossed this line.”

Without Young’s petition effort, the party’s endorsement would have guaranteed the nomination for Common Council member Barbara Smyth, who was backed by the local Democratic Town Committee last month.

When asked about the primary, Smyth told NancyonNorwalk:

My campagin has been prepared for a primary, and we are ready to do what we need to win in September. We are well underway, knocking on doors and speaking with voters and sharing my vision for Norwalk, one of a vibrant shorline community that we can all feel a part of, where housing meets the needs of our seniors, young people, and families from all economic backgrounds. A city that grows at a responsable rate and maintains the historic and cultural feel of our our neighborhoods, where people from all walks of life feel safe and included.”

How the Democratic Primary Works in Norwalk

In Connecticut, candidates who fail to win a party’s local endorsement can earn a place on the primary ballot by collecting signatures.

The candidates will face off in a closed primary on Sept. 9. Only registered Democrats will be eligible to vote. The winner of the primary will go on to appear on the general election ballot in November as the party’s nominee.

If confirmed, the primary would mark a rare intra-party contest in Norwalk’s mayoral politics, the first in over a decade.

“Congratulations to Darlene and her team for successfully petitioning for a primary — no easy feat!” said Colin Hosten, Chair of the Democratic Town Committee. “Now all Norwalk Democrats will get to see and hear what our 55 DTC members saw in June: while Barbara Smyth is our endorsed candidate, the close vote reflects the fact that both Barbara and Darlene are two dedicated public servants who have already worked hard to improve the quality of life for everyone in Norwalk and are now stepping up to serve once again. I, for one, am looking forward to electing our next Mayor on September 9.”

What’s Next

The Democratic mayoral primary will be held Tuesday, Sept 9.