Election Day is over and despite the many significant shifts and changes it will bring in the form of new people, energies, motivations, and political philosophies to our local boards and commissions, a new day and era is upon us here in Newtown. And it brings myriad opportunities for positive change and improvement — particularly when it comes to fostering a greater spirit of cooperation and collaboration among all our newly elected and re-elected officials.

First and foremost, we again must recognize and express gratitude to each and every candidate who took part in this year’s local elections. Thanks and praise are also very much in order for everyone in elected, appointed, and volunteer capacities who worked to ensure the mechanics and logistics of Election Day 2021 went as smoothly as possible.

And while it was a far cry from the 19,371 voters who were registered to participate, plus those eligible who are not registered, we thank the nearly 35 out of 100 eligible residents who took the time to play an important role in our local democratic process by casting ballots.

It was also not lost on us that our third generation First Selectman Dan Rosenthal, who ran unopposed along with his Board of Selectmen colleagues, did so under a new national political party. In the process of winning re-election, Rosenthal — whose father and grandfather served in the same capacity before him — made political history as the first duly elected office holder anywhere in the country under the SAM (Serve America Movement) Party banner.

Perhaps the biggest vote of confidence in Dan Rosenthal’s abilities, and his decision to pursue another term as a petitioning minor party SAM candidate, came many weeks before Election Day when both major party town committees committed to not run their own first selectman candidate against him.

As the community moves toward December 1 and the induction of all our successful candidates into official service, they might be best served to review some of the basic SAM Party principles that inspired Rosenthal to join the movement.

They can look to the SAM website, joinsam.org, to learn a bit about how the party and its members and supporters “created the only political platform not based on rigid ideology or predetermined policy positions, rejecting that approach altogether. Its candidates rely on proven problem-solving principles to understand the challenges facing their communities, then work with constituents and residents, and with other leaders, to develop a solution that delivers the most good for the most people.”

Individuals do not have to abandon their own partisan philosophies — or political party — in order to better themselves and in turn our Newtown community by at least factoring some of the general SAM Party principles into their upcoming terms of elected service.

On an unrelated note, as Newtowners engaged in the competition that was our local elections, we were also fixated on another competition — that of Newtown’s own Jim and Sasha Allen who have advanced once again on the nationwide televised talent competition known as The Voice.

While the approach of Election Day came with a measure of negative behaviors and incidents we can now put behind us, Jim and Sasha’s performances, and their advancement on the global stage, were so much more than a pleasant distraction — and we stand with the entire community wishing them well as your Newtown Bee continues to chronicle their journey toward ultimate success in that arena!