Well-known CT Democrat seeking old Senate seat after prison; Opponent says he is ‘relic of the past’

He once declared himself to be “the Moses of my people.”

He served nearly five years in federal prison and a halfway house after pleading guilty to bribery and other crimes in a corruption scandal as a convicted felon.

Now, Democrat Ernie Newton is battling to get his old Senate seat back in the Democratic primary on Aug. 13 Bridgeport.

Known as one of the most colorful and quotable state legislators in his heyday before heading to prison, Newton has tried various political comebacks that failed before capturing his current seat as president pro tem on the Bridgeport city council. He is now aiming to get back to the state Capitol and represent the city’s east side and part of Stratford as he battles the incumbent, first-term Sen. Herron Gaston.

Now 68, Newton joined the state legislature at age 32, a young firebrand with boundless energy in the late 1980s. But a lot has happened since then, and Newton is trying to return to where he was.

The two Democrats don’t like each other, and Newton dismisses Gaston as an inexperienced newcomer and carpetbagger who did not move to Bridgeport until 2014. Gaston, 36, counters that Newton squandered his chance to be in the state Senate when he was sent to prison for public corruption.

“Mister Gaston — I don’t even call him senator — is the new kid on the block, but I built the block,” Newton told The Courant in an interview. “He doesn’t have no experience. I could be blind and know more about the Capitol and the workings than he will ever know. … You got a guy in the Senate who don’t know nothing about the Senate. We need a person like me who can share the accolades in Bridgeport.”

But Gaston says he represents Bridgeport’s future after winning the local convention nomination with 48 delegates, compared to only 9 votes for Newton. Gaston said it was a huge accomplishment to win the convention against a veteran Democrat with high name recognition who has spent 40 years in Bridgeport politics. That defeat forced Newton to collect petition signatures in order to qualify for the primary ballot, which he did.

“Listen, Mr. Ernie Newton is a relic of the past,” Gaston said in an interview. “I think I represent the present and future of Bridgeport politics. Mr. Newton obviously had his bite at the apple when he served in this seat. Based on his own dereliction of responsibility, he forfeited that opportunity when he went to prison, and he violated the trust of the seat that the folks entrusted him with. We cannot afford to go backwards.”

Gaston added, “I believe people should have a second chance, but I also believe that some folks have not been given a first chance. In this case, it’s a first chance for me to be in this position of state senator. I should be able to continue that role, considering my track record and what I bring to help restore the integrity and trust of the 23rd senatorial district seat.”

Gaston cited a list of accomplishments from his freshman term in the Senate, saying that he brought home more than $450 million over two years for the city’s public schools. He also obtained money for Bridgeport-based nonprofits that hold state contracts, along with Housatonic Community College in the Park City.

A graduate of Yale Divinity School, Gaston holds a master’s degree in divinity, another master’s in theology, and a Ph.D. degree in counseling psychology. He serves as chaplain of the Bridgeport police department and senior pastor of Summerfield United Methodist Church. He came to Connecticut to further his education and also graduated from Quinnipiac University with a law degree.

In addition to his legislative achievements, Gaston said that he helps feed more than 65,000 Bridgeport residents every year through meals at his church on Clermont Avenue in the city’s east side.

But Newton is not persuaded and does not believe the numbers.

“I know Jesus took two fish and five loaves of bread and fed 5,000 and had more left over,” Newton said. “He’s then done something that Jesus didn’t do. Again, it’s all about him. … Mr. Gaston wants everybody to know that he went to Yale, but God don’t care about that.”

Campaign financing

Since money is a crucial element in political campaigns, some observers believe Gaston has an advantage because he received public financing through the State Elections Enforcement Commission. The grant of about $110,000 is added to his own fundraising to qualify, making about $130,000 available for the primary.

But Newton is prohibited from getting public financing as a convicted felon, and he is hoping to raise $50,000 for the primary. That includes out-of-state donations of $1,000 from Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, according to public records.

“Gaston is going to outspend Newton more than 2-to-1, at least,” said Lennie Grimaldi, a blogger and longtime observer of Bridgeport politics who once worked for Mayor Joe Ganim. “Ernie’s counter is ‘I’m better known, so I don’t need as much money.’ Based on the money situation, Ernie is the underdog. But I don’t discount him because primaries are such weird ducks, and it’s going to be super-low turnout.”

Gaston’s lead in the money race will help him get out the word and get out the vote on a hot day in mid-August.

“This is such a sleepy race that a lot of people don’t know about it.” Grimaldi said. “Bridgeport primaries are so crazy.”

Newton as convicted felon

Newton served nearly five years in federal prison and a halfway house in a corruption case after the FBI listened to his cellphone calls on a wiretap for 16 hours a day, seven days a week, for nearly seven months in 2004. Those taped calls provided key evidence leading to Newton’s guilty plea on three felony charges, including accepting a bribe, evading taxes, and pilfering more than $40,000 in campaign contributions for personal expenses like car repairs and personal cell phone calls.

With a long and colorful history of speeches, Newton delivered a defiant speech in Bridgeport before his guilty plea in 2005 and declared that he was “the Moses of my people” who would stage a political comeback when he got out of prison.

During Newton’s sentencing, the federal judge who sent Newton to prison made a direct reference to Newton’s “Moses of my people” remark.

“I don’t think there’s any reference in the Bible,” Judge Alan Nevas said during the sentencing hearing, “that as God led his people for 40 years in the desert that he ever took money from them.”

Newton has since made his comeback on the city council since 2017, and is now shooting for the Senate.

“If we gave [Bridgeport mayor] Joe Ganim a second and third and fourth chance, I deserve a second chance for the Senate,” Newton said. “I’m following the will of the people.”

Newton has been known to some as more of a preacher than a politician, often peppering his quotes with references to God and the Bible. He says the most important thing that constituents have said to him after he returned from prison was that they had prayed for him.

“People say, ‘How can an ex-felon run? He broke the trust of the people,’” Newton said previously. “Well, wait a minute. Jesus had 12 disciples. They was always breaking the commandments, but Jesus always forgave them. Think about it. They weren’t perfect people. I’ll give you Peter. Jesus had to rebuke Peter because Peter was out of control — cussing, cut a man’s ear off. C’mon. The thing I’m trying to say is nobody in this world is perfect.”

Gaston

A freshman senator, Gaston won in November 2022 to gain his seat after winning a Democratic primary by about 4 percentage points against then-Sen. Dennis Bradley in a low-turnout battle where about 3,400 votes were cast.

He had worked as assistant chief administrative officer under Ganim from November 2019 until August 2023 when he departed to become vice president of external affairs and chief of staff at the University of Bridgeport.

Recently, he was named one of the 100 most influential Blacks in Connecticut for 2024 by the NAACP, a recognition that honors industry and community leaders.

Among other goals, Gaston fights to reduce gun violence, protect children, and recruit police officers.

One of his prominent bills that became law now requires police officers to tell drivers the reason why they were pulled over for a traffic stop.

“That’s the kind of leadership that Bridgeport deserves,” he said. “There was nothing in the law for the police officer to give a reason why they were pulled over. To de-escalate it, I thought it was important for motorists to know why they are pulled over.”

Gaston also pushed hard this year for a successful bill to establish monitoring systems with cameras that would detect drivers and impose fines on those who pass school buses illegally — a huge issue in Bridgeport as officials said that nearly 10,000 drivers had passed 74 different buses during the school year’s first six months alone.

“The safety and wellbeing of our children, no matter where they live or what they look like, has been a top priority for me since taking office,” Gaston said upon passage. “This legislation marks a crucial advancement in safeguarding our young students, and I am deeply grateful that my efforts working across the aisle and with my House colleagues were recognized with this unanimous vote.”

Gaston has received key endorsements from the two highest-ranking senators in his caucus: Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney of New Haven and Senate majority leader Bob Duff of Norwalk.

“Senator Gaston has quickly proven himself to be a dedicated and effective leader,” Looney said in a statement. “His remarkable ability to advocate for and secure essential resources for Bridgeport and Stratford, while maintaining an impeccable record of integrity, demonstrates his commitment and skill.”

Both candidates say that they will deliver for their city.

“People want to see Bridgeport return to its glory days,” Gaston said. “Judge me on my work and my deeds, and not how long I’ve been in this place.”

Even though he lost races in 2012 and 2014, Newton has a long history of winning in Bridgeport and says Gaston is facing a tough battle in the final three weeks until Aug. 13.

“He’s never run against a person like Ernie Newton,” Newton said of himself. “Trust me. He’s going to find out. Time will tell. I know how to put it together.”

Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com