Republican alder candidate Kyle Ross failed to submit the petition signatures necessary to appear on the ballot for an upcoming special election for Ward 7 alder, leaving him to run as a write-in against Democratic candidate Christine Kim. Ross, a financial advisor and Republican Party ward co- chair who lives on Clark Street, is running to fill a Downtown/East Rock alder seat left vacant when incumbent Democrat Eli Sabin resigned on inauguration day. Ross is running against Kim, the Democratic Party ward co-chair, in a special election to be held on Feb. 17. (Early voting begins on Feb. 11.) The City Clerk’s office confirmed Wednesday that Ross’s name will not appear on the special election ballot because he didn’t submit the necessary petition signatures. Ross not being on the ballot means that the only name that will appear is Kim’s. Ross has filed with the Office of the Secretary of State to run as a write-in candidate, instead. “It’s not the ideal situation to be a write-in,” he said in a phone interview with the Independent Wednesday. “But we’re committed to the campaign.” Ross and local Republican Party Chair John Carlson confirmed that the paperwork Ross had filed with the City Clerk’s office hadn’t been complete. Ross said that he hadn’t been able to correct it before the Jan. 12 deadline to file. “This is a unique election. There’s not gonna be anybody else on the ballot but Christine,” Ross said. “If there’s one type of election where you think it may be a little bit better to be a write-in, this would probably be it. Some people just check down the boxes, where here there’s going to be one name and one office.” With hopes of boosting his name as one that voters might write on their ballots, Ross said that he has been working to get the word out about his campaign. He said that he introduced himself at a recent East Rock Community Management Team meeting and will be talking to small-business owners in the Ninth Square this weekend. He also said that he has been giving his cell number out and has received positive feedback. “We’re going to proceed,” he said. All 30 of the city’s alders are Democrats. A Republican hasn’t won an aldermanic election in New Haven in more than a decade. The post Republican Alder-Hopeful To Run As Write-In appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less