Local Democrats, GOP Announce Candidates

For November Ballot

By John Voket

This November’s local ballot will offer a mix of old school and newcomers, and it will even feature something of a family affair among those seeking to help lead the community through the next two to four years. The Newtown Republican and Democratic Town Committees each held their nominating caucuses July 26 two floors apart at Edmond Town Hall.

While more than 50 Republicans occupied the lower gymnasium, a couple dozen Democrats attended their party caucus in the Mary Hawley Room. And the end result for each was a pretty robust ticket of local individuals willing to put their names on the line along with an apparently universal and nonpartisan desire to make Newtown a better place to live.

Perhaps one of the most interesting developments across the November political landscape is the father-son candidacies of James Gaston and James Gaston, Jr. The senior Mr Gaston, a current Borough of Newtown warden and vice chairman of the Board of Finance, has decided to accept his party’s nomination to lead its ticket as a contender for the Board of Selectmen.

His son, if successful in his first political attempt, may take his father’s seat on the finance board, for which he is a candidate.

During a brief and impromptu acceptance speech, the senior Mr Gaston said it was an honor to represent the Democrats on the ticket this fall.

“Thank you for the endorsement, thank you for your confidence,” the senior Mr Gaston said. The party did not endorse a first selectman candidate and opted to not cross-endorse a candidate on its ballot line.

At the same time, the GOP caucus yielded no surprises at the top of the ticket. Incumbent First Selectman Pat Llodra and her first term running mate Will Rodgers had previously announced their intentions to seek reelection.

The Republican officials provided an in-depth, five-point statement — available in the online Source Files at NewtownBee.com — which revisits Mrs Llodra’s and Mr Rodgers’ campaign platform from two years ago, and updates the progress made toward those goals, while amending the list with developments that have arisen since taking office in December 2009.

Following the caucus this week, Mrs Llodra told The Bee that she believes she is “doing the right work for the town.”

“We’re beginning to make the structural changes we need to make as a community, and I’d like the opportunity to continue,” she said. “We have the right team in place to continue to address the issues that are affecting Newtown.”

Mr Rodgers added that he and the first selectman are eager to begin knocking on doors around town during their campaign, and to reconnect with residents through that process.

“We will begin that as soon as possible now that the nominations are official,” he said.

The Democrats and Republicans both saw individuals who initially decided not to run this fall become convinced that they had more work to do before ending their terms of elected service. Both GOP finance board Chairman John Kortze and his Democratic colleague Michael Portnoy will be on the ballot come November.

Incumbent Democratic finance board member Martin Gersten will also be on the ballot, while the GOP will see incumbents Joe Kearney and Harrison Waterbury joined by newcomer Richard Oparowski.

The GOP endorsed incumbent Keith Alexander, along with Laura Roche and Steven “Cody” McCubbin for the Board of Education, while the Democratic ticket will feature Eric Paradis, John Vouros, and Daniel Shea vying for seats on the school board.

The Democrats will offer the following candidates for the Legislative Council:

District 1 – Paul Lundquist, Joel Faxon, and Michelle Rosenthal

District 2 – Bob Edwards, Daniel Honan, and Don Mitchell

District 3 – Daniel Amaral, Nancy Juliano, and Joe Bojnowski

The Republicans will offer the following candidates for the Legislative Council:

District 1 – George Ferguson, Robert Merola, and Joe Girgasky

District 2 – Kathryn Fetchick, Mary Ann Jacob, and Dan Wiedemann

District 3 – Jeff Capeci, Ben Spragg, and Mitchell Bolinsky

Michael Porco, Sr, will be a Republican candidate for the Planning & Zoning Commission along with Robert Mulholland and Jim Swift. The Republican P&Z alternates are Peggy Fillion and Jane Sharpe.

The Democrats endorsed Robert Poulin for P&Z and Rudy Pozek as a P&Z alternate.

Ross Carley is the Democrat’s choice for the Zoning Board of Appeals with Herb Rosenthal as an alternate, while the GOP endorsed Charles Annett and Tim Cronin for the board, and Roy Meadows and Ed Schierlo as alternates.

The Republicans chose James McFarland for the Board of Assessment Appeals, along with Margot Hall and Tom Long for the Edmond Town Hall Board of Managers. Maureen Crick Owen is the Democratic choice for Board of Assessment Appeals and James Juliano will seek another term on the board of managers.

The Democrats also endorsed Earl J. Smith and Andrew Sachs for the Police Commission, while the GOP will offer Brian Budd and Paul Mangiafico.

Mr Rosenthal, who is also the DTC candidates committee chair, said a couple of the individuals on the ballot have gladly agreed to run and serve if elected, but would also give up their ballot positions if other individuals more qualified or motivated to run answer the party’s call for recruits. Neither major party expects to see any other candidates surfacing to force primaries in any race ahead of the November local election.

The Independent Party of Newtown, as a qualified minor party, does not hold a caucus to ratify any candidates for local election, but the group has planned a July 28 town committee meeting to entertain nominations from its candidates committee.

Visit newtonbee.com July 29 for an update coming out of that meeting, if candidates are ratified.