Darien voters re-elected First Selectman Jayme Stevenson to her third term in office Tuesday along with the two Republicans on her ticket for Board of Selectmen, as Democrats took the two remaining seats.
The Board of Selectmen will be made up of Stevenson, Republicans Susan Marks and Charles “Kip” Koons, and Democrats Marc Thorne and Rob Richards, the top five vote-getters in the contests for first selectman and Board of Selectmen seats.
First Selectman Jayme Stevenson and Selectman Susan Marks, were both re-elected.
“I think people are happy with the work we’ve been doing,” Stevenson said at the Republican victory party at The Goose restaurant.
Marks, one of Stevenson’s two running mates, said, “I’m excited about the next two years. I think Jayme Stevenson is a phenomenal leader and I think everyone [elected to the board] has the attitude that we’re going to do right by the town. I don’t think anyone is going to have any kind of partisanship. I think that’s all gone.”
At Darien Town Hall, Thorne, Richards, Werner and McIlmurray waited in the hallway outside the Registrars of Voters Office to get the results.
From left: Democrats Rob Richards and Marc Thorne (shown in front of voting results posted in front of the Registrars of Voters Office in Town Hall) were elected to the Board of Selectmen.
“Rob Richards and I are absolutely delighted,” Thorne said. “We worked hard on this thing, and we want to thank the people who encouraged us to run and the people who helped.
“We’re going to be working together with the rest of the board to continue to make Darien great.”
Richards said: “I personally think we’re all going to work great together, and that’s personally what I’ve been trying to focus on. I hope we’re going to be one of the most productive teams in Darien’s history.”
McIlmurray said: “The voters have spoken — so be it. I’ll continue doing what I’m doing on the RTM [Representative Town Meeting].”
Rob Werner, Chris Noe and Spencer McIlmurray, who each ran as a candidate unaffiliated with any party, didn’t get enough votes to get on the board.
Town Clerk Donna Rajcewski, one of the many candidates who didn’t have any opposition, won re-election as town clerk with 2,431 — more votes than any other candidate in Darien.
VOTING RESULTS:
(R=Republican, D=Democrat, U=unaffiliated with a party)
First Selectman
Jayme Stevenson (R) — 2,074
Rob Werner (U) — 542
Chris Noe (U) — 77
Board of Selectmen
Susan Marks (R) — 1,921
Charles “Kip” Koons (R) — 1,716
Marc Thorne (D) — 919
Rob Richards (D) — 702
Spencer McIlmurray (U) — 283
No other races had more candidates than there were seats for them.
UPDATE: Here are more vote totals for candidates, in the initial vote count (Darienite.com will have voting results for Representative Town Meeting candidates later):
Town Clerk — Donna Rajczewski (R) — 2,431
Town Treasurer — Joan Hendrickson (R) — 2,393
Tax Collector — Kathleen Larkins (R) — 2,366
Board of Finance:
— Diana Maguire (D) — 990
— Jamie McLaughlin (R) — 2,090
— James Palen Jr. (R) — 1,878
Board of Education:
— Katie Stein (D) — 1,243
— Elizabeth A. (“Betsy”) Hagerty-Ross (R) — 1,849
— Sarah Schneider-Zuro (R) — 1,845
Board of Assessment Appeals — Richard Dolcetti (R) — 2,290
Planning & Zoning Commission:
— Kevin Cunningham (D) — 1,043
— Susan Cameron (R) — 2,138
— Richard DiDonna (R) — 1,739
Constables:
— Lou Calastro (R) — 2,196
— Joseph Tarnowsky Jr. (R) — 2,192