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Lawsuit Challenging Endorsement Is Dismissed

Jenna Carlesso

November 08, 2011

A Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit Monday that accused Mayor Pedro Segarra of violating Democratic Party rules when he accepted a cross-nomination from Republicans.

The lawsuit, brought by Edwin Vargas, who unsuccessfully challenged Segarra in the Democratic primary and is running as a petitioning candidate, also said in his suit that Segarra was "improperly and illegally" listed as the party-endorsed candidate during the primary.

Vargas said the cross endorsement violated party rules and asked that the court to void the primary results and remove Segarra's name from the Democratic line on the ballot.

Town and City Clerk John Bazzano, Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, the Hartford Democratic Town Committee and the Democratic State Central Committee were also named in the lawsuit.

Segarra's attorney, John Kennelly, filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, which Judge Jane S. Scholl granted Monday.

"I was very glad that the court agreed with Mayor Segarra that attempts to stymie the will of the voters would not be given any credence or credibility," Kennelly said.

Robert Ludgin, Vargas' attorney, said Monday: "The court's decision that there's no remedy for the Vargas complaint indicates that the statutes should be revised to protect the public from the hoodwinking that the mayor was able to pull off. [Segarra] did not tell the Democratic rank-and-file voters that he also would be running as a Republican."