Party Caucuses Will Select Candidates For November’s Ballot

By Jan Howard

The election season is beginning to heat up along with the summer. Republicans and Democrats will meet in caucuses next week to decide on slates of candidates for the November election.

Many familiar names will once again try to make their way on to the ballot this fall, but Legislative Council Chairman Donald Studley will not be one of them. He has informed Republican party leaders that he will not be seeking reelection.

The Republicans will caucus on Wednesday, July 16, at 7:30 pm, in the Edmond Town Hall gym. The Democrats will caucus Thursday, July 17, at 8 pm, in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall.

The town committee chairmen urge all registered Republicans and Democrats to attend their respective caucuses.

“We have a great many seats to fill and several qualified people have already stepped up to the plate,” Republican Town Committee (RTC) Chairman Owen Carney said this week.

Democratic Chairman Earl Smith said town committee members were talking to their friends and other party members urging them to attend the caucus.

On Wednesday, July 9, First Selectman Herb Rosenthal announced he would be seeking his party’s nod to run for reelection to a fourth two-year term. Mr Rosenthal also announced that his running mate would be incumbent Selectman Joe Bojnowski, who was out of town at the time of the announcement.

The Democratic Town Committee is meeting Thursday, July 10, after press time, to finalize the slate of candidates it will present at the caucus.

Nominations may be made from the floor at both caucuses.

The Republican caucus will be watched with interest, as two candidates have indicated their interest in seeking the nomination for first selectman to run against Mr Rosenthal. The Republicans could provide some additional heat that would last until September if, as expected, the candidate defeated on July 16 petitions for a primary in September.

Mr Carney was endorsed by the Republican Town Committee as its first selectman candidate at its meeting June 9. Incumbents Bill Brimmer and Cindy Simon are running for another term as selectman and town clerk, respectively.

 Mr Carney said Wednesday that town committee members are spreading the word about the caucus to individuals personally and through telephone calls. “There’s not much else you can do,” he said.

“I’m sure the people who want to get elected are making calls,” said Republican Town Committee member Barbara O’Connor, chairman of the Nominating Committee.

In May, Mr Carney announced his intention to again seek his party’s support for the position of first selectman. In 2001, he was unsuccessful in his attempt to unseat Mr Rosenthal. He has been a resident of Newtown since 1972. A former captain of the Newtown Police Department, he now works for Bethel’s Police Department.

William Sheluck, chairman of the last Charter Revision Commission, also announced his candidacy for the top spot in May. A relative newcomer to the local political scene, he is a retired bank CEO. He has been a resident of Newtown for seven years and is an alternate member of the Republican Town Committee. It is expected that he will be nominated from the floor during the caucus.

In addition to Mr Carney, Mr Brimmer, and Ms Simon, Ms O’Connor said that incumbents Earl Gordon and Andrew Buzzi are running for two seats on the Board of Education. George Caracciolo has also expressed interest in running for the Board of Education.

Incumbents John Kortze and Harry Waterbury are running for two of the four available seats on the Board of Finance. Incumbent Marie Sturdevant is running for the single Republican seat on the Board of Town Hall Managers.

Joe DeCandido, Mike Iassogna, and Bill Meyer are council incumbents in District 1, but Mr Meyer is moving out of town. Richard Recht and Paul Mangiafico have expressed interest in the Legislative Council. Joe Borst, incumbent in District 2, plans to run for another term. Barbara Bloom has come forward to run for one of the vacant seats. In District 3, incumbent Will Rodgers plans to run again, but Brian White has joined Mr Studley in deciding not to run again, leaving two seats council seats open.

The Board of Assessment Appeals has a vacancy, as Eleanor Mayer does not plan to seek reelection.

The Planning and Zoning Commission has two incumbents, Sten Wilson and Bill O’Neil, who plan to run again. Jane Brymer, an incumbent, is seeking reelection as a Planning and Zoning alternate. Another seat is open.

Dick Simon, an incumbent, is seeking one of the seats on the Board of Police Commissioners, and Duane Giannini has expressed interest in the other vacant seat.

Incumbents Skip Annett and Hank Kessler are running for the two seats on the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA). Tim Cronin and Laurie Wrabel, also incumbents, are running for the two seats as ZBA alternates.

“Interest is strong this year,” Ms O’Connor said. “In some cases, we have more candidates than we have seats to fill.”