In a press release, The

Greater New Haven Clergy Association said it is "encouraging all candidates for public office to run positive, issues-oriented campaigns."
The release further said the association calls on candidates for New Haven mayor "to manage positive issued focused campaigns."


The release also said: "Candidates are being asked to sign The Civil Campaign Pledge...in May. In signing The Pledge, candidates will assume personal control over and responsibility for the conduct of their campaigns."
"We are also calling on local citizens and leaders to participate with monitoring the campaigns to guarantee that the pledge is followed. With this goal in mind, we are forming a Civil Election Practices Committee to monitor the campaigns, and to hear candidates' complaints when they believe The Pledge has been broken during the election season," the release said.

Also contained in the release:

The Civil Campaign Pledge

As a candidate for public office in the 2013 election:

• I will conduct my campaign honestly, openly and fairly. I will discuss the issues and participate in fair public debate with respect to my views and qualifications.
• I will not engage in, permit or condone defamatory attacks upon the character of my opponent(s); nor will I engage in invasions of personal privacy unrelated to campaign issues.
• I will not use or permit use of any campaign material or advertisement which misrepresents, distorts, or otherwise falsifies the facts regarding my opponent(s).
• I will refuse to disseminate any campaign material or message in which I am not prominently identified.
• I will publicly repudiate support from any individual or group whose activities would violate this Civil Campaign Pledge.

The release further stated: 
"only a candidate may file a complaint. The Fair Election Practices Committee (FEPC) hears complaints," that members of the Fair Election Practices Committee are "to be determined," that "by signing, candidates are publicly proclaiming their support for a fair, issues-oriented race, and that  the complaint and hearing process begins May 15 and runs "through the day before Election Day in November."

Editor's note: All information in this post was contributed.