Court Puts Tyler Back In Enfield Primary

ENFIELD, CT — Thomas Tyler is back in the Democratic primary against state Rep. John Santanella after the Connecticut Supreme Court reversed a ruling that had disqualified Tyler’s petitions.

Put simply, the lower court removed Tyler from the ballot because of problems with the paperwork used to collect his signatures. The Supreme Court overturned that decision Thursday and ordered the trial court to schedule a new primary as soon as possible.

Santanella said Friday that the Democratic primary for the 58th House District will be held Sept. 1.

“The judgment of the trial court is reversed, and the matter is remanded to the trial court with direction to schedule a new primary as soon as is practicable,” the Supreme Court said in its July 30 order.

The decision means Tyler will again have an opportunity to challenge Santanella, the Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate, for the Enfield-based seat.

The Supreme Court issued its order shortly after hearing arguments in Tyler’s appeal, according to Tyler’s campaign. A more detailed written opinion explaining the court’s reasoning is expected later.

The case began after Santanella challenged the petitions Tyler used to qualify for the primary.

As Patch previously reported, a Hartford Superior Court judge ruled that the petitions could not be counted because some forms were issued four days before state law allowed and because the forms were missing a required section where petition circulators were supposed to list how many signatures they collected.

The lower court did not find that Tyler’s signatures were fraudulent or that voters had done anything wrong. Tyler had 299 accepted signatures and needed 228 to qualify, but the judge ruled that the paperwork problems required the petitions to be rejected.

Tyler’s campaign argued that Enfield Democratic Registrar Beth Jerez and Town Clerk Sheila Bailey relied on forms and instructions provided by the Connecticut Secretary of the State’s office.

In a statement Thursday, Tyler’s campaign said the Supreme Court ruling vindicated Jerez and Bailey, describing both as government administrators who were doing their jobs based on the information they received.

“Now it’s on to a Democratic primary in the 58th District,” the campaign said. “Today’s ruling was a victory for free and fair elections in Connecticut.”

Santanella issued a statement Friday saying he was disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision but accepted the ruling.

“I respect its ruling and appreciate the clarity it provides,” Santanella said. “I brought this case because I believed Connecticut’s election laws should be applied consistently and fairly. The Court has now spoken, and I accept its decision.”

Santanella said he is prepared to make his case directly to Enfield’s Democratic voters in the Sept. 1 primary.

“I’ve always believed elections should be decided by voters whenever the law allows, and I’m ready to make my case directly to the people of Enfield,” Santanella said. “Over the past two years, I’ve worked hard to deliver results for our community, and I’m excited for the opportunity to earn another term based on that record.”

The Supreme Court’s brief order did not explain why the justices reversed the lower-court decision. Justice Raheem L. Mullins Alexander did not participate in the case, according to the order.

For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.