Fontaine Urges Supporters to Redouble Efforts

"I hope I didn't disappoint you," said Mayor Leo Fontaine to supporters at Ciro's Tuesday after challenger Lisa Baldelli-Hunt secured triple the number of primary votes for the incumbent, "But we have a lot of work to do."

Minutes before, voter tallies came in showing 2,638 votes for Rep. Lisa Baldelli-Hunt (D-Dist. 49) to Fontaine's 826, with two-digit voting returns across most of the city's districts to the challenger's three. 

Fontaine thanked about 60 supporters who volunteered on his behalf at the polls, helped distribute flyers and spread the word about his campaign, including his wife, Luz, and daughter Juliet. Fontaine said some passers-by yelled at his wife and daughter, and made rude gestures during the primary. "Don't let me catch you doing that," Fontaine said.

Fontaine said the primary results show he and supporters have to get their message out to the city through family and friends and work door to door.  

People need to know, he said, that the problems the city faces are largely due to decisions made in the General Assembly, where Baldelli-Hunt has spent the last several years. "This election is a choice about somebody that sat up at the State House and voted for all of those budgets that cut the funding from us," Fontaine said, "Please, join the fight for this city."