Securing Sheluck’s GOP Nomination––

Carney Decides

Not To Primary

By Jan Howard

Republican Owen Carney announced July 24 that he would not petition for a primary in September in an attempt to overturn the July 16 caucus in which he, the Republican Town Committee-endorsed candidate for first selectman, was outpolled by challenger William Sheluck.

Mr Sheluck outpolled Mr Carney 82-52 in a standing-room-only caucus that brought out some new faces to the Republican political scene.

“You have to call a spade a spade. He beat me,” Mr Carney said Monday. “Someone had to walk away not victorious.”

Following the caucus, Mr Carney had indicated that he had not made a decision on whether to petition for a primary in September, but said this week that he had talked to friends and members of his family over the ensuing days and decided against a primary bid for the position.

Mr Carney said he had not given much thought to a possible loss prior to the caucus last week. “No one wants to contemplate that you’ll lose,” he said.

Mr Carney said some of the people he spoke with have mixed feelings about his decision not to petition for a primary. 

He said, however, “I have to do what I think is best. The Republican Party is something I believe in. I don’t want to do anything to fracture it. Now it’s on to November.”

Mr Carney said, “I’ve been working at this the past three years. I’ve made a lot of friendships. Now I’m going to spend some time with my family.”

Mr Carney is chairman of the Republican Town Committee.

Carol Recht, secretary of the Republican Town Committee, said Tuesday, “I think Owen was very gracious in wanting to avoid a division in the party.

“I think it was behind his decision that to get our nominee elected we have to seek unity rather than divisiveness. That doesn’t help us.”

This was the second time Mr Carney had sought the support of Republicans to run against incumbent First Selectman Herb Rosenthal. In 2001, he secured the nod from his party but ran unsuccessfully against Mr Rosenthal.

A resident of Newtown since 1972, Mr Carney moved here when he was hired to serve on the town’s police department. He retired from that position in February 1999. He now works for the Town of Bethel Police Department.