Government & Politics
Darien Town Hall trees

Werner Wins Top Ballot Spot for First Selectmen Petition Candidates

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Democrats will appear before Republicans on the election ballot for local offices this November, and Rob Werner will get the top spot among “petition candidates” for first selectmen. Those were the chief results of a “lottery” held just after 10 a.m. Tuesday in the Registrars of Voters Office to assign places on Darien’s election ballot form. Several candidates showed up for the event, including Board of Selectman candidate Susan Marks, the GOP nominee, who said she didn’t think it made any difference where she showed up on the ballot. Then why did she show up? “I was curious,” she said.

Government & Politics
Town Hall 2015

Letter: Lottery on Tuesday Determines Order of Darien Candidates on Ballot

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To the editor:
On Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015 at 10 a.m. in Town Hall, Room 106, the registrars of voters will hold a lottery in their office for the order candidates will be placed on the ballot for the Nov. 3 General Elections. The positioning of the major political parties on the ballot is set by state statute, but the order of candidates for each office (if there are multiple names) is determined by lottery. This year petitioning candidates will offer voters options for the offices of first selectman and selectmen.

Government & Politics
GOP Elephant

Letters: First Selectman and GOP Town Committee on Caucus

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Two letters to the editor: One from First Selectman Jayme Stevenson (which came in first), the other from Republican Town Committee publicity chairs on the recent caucus and GOP candidate slate:

From Jayme Stevenson, first selectman:
Dear Editor,

Monday night’s Republican Caucus was memorable in many ways.  More than 320 Darien Republicans came out on a hot summer night and casted their vote for an outstanding slate of Republican candidates,  including my Selectmen teammates Susan Marks and Kip Koons. Susan, Kip and I are eager to hear the thoughts and concerns as we work to earn your vote on Nov. 3.   It takes a solid team that’s committed to listening to our residents and business owners, and one that works together to keep our town well managed, open to opportunity, fiscally responsible and dedicated to maintaining Darien’s superb quality of living.  It’s also an honor and privilege for me to have earned the caucus endorsement and run for a third term as your First Selectman.

Government & Politics
Maguire Thorne Richards

Democratic Caucus Endorses Marc Thorne, Rob Richards for Selectmen

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The Darien Democratic Caucus on Tuesday night put forward no candidate for first selectman or any other elected executive post in town government, but did endorse Robert Richards and Marc Thorne for Board of Selectmen. The meeting, which started shortly after 8 p.m., drew a total of 21 Democrats and made its endorsements without any dissenting votes or objections. Kevin Cunningham was endorsed for another term on the Planning & Zoning Commission and Diana Maguire, already a member of the Board of Finance, for a new term on that board. Likewise, Katherine Stein was endorsed for another term on the Board of Education. The party did not put up any candidates to contest seats with the Republicans.

Government & Politics
GOP Logo

GOP Caucus: Marks, Koons Win Two Board of Selectman Nominations

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Selectman Susan Marks and newcomer Kip Koons won the two Board of Selectman seats contested by four candidates at Monday night’s Darien Republican Town Caucus. The votes: Susan Marks, 274; Kip Koons, 231; Spencer McIlmurray, 59; Joe Warren, 41. About 320 people registered for voting at the caucus, according to Darien’s two registrars of voters. “I had a great group of people working with me as a team” to get this victory, Marks said in an interview after the vote. “It was a team victory.”

Government & Politics
Susan Marks

Selectman Susan Marks to Challenge GOP Endorsement of McIlmurray for Her Seat

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After the Republican Town Committee recently decided not to endorse Selectman Susan Marks for re-election, instead throwing its support to Spencer McIlmurray, Marks decided she wasn’t stepping down without a contest. So on Sunday Marks announced she’s throwing her hat back into the ring, saying she’ll contest that endorsement at the upcoming GOP Town Caucus. The caucus is open to any registered Republican. It meets to nominate candidates on July 27. “I will be a petitioning candidate at the upcoming Republican caucus,” Marks said in a news release issued Sunday.

Government & Politics
GOP Elephant

Stevenson, Hagerty-Ross Get Town Committee Endorsement for Re-election

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First Selectman Jayme Stevenson and Board of Education Chairperson Betsy Hagerty-Ross have both been endorsed for re-election by the Darien Republican Town Committee, which also gave its nod to some replacement candidates for this year’s election. Incumbents not on the list of candidates endorsed by the town committee: Selectmen Susan Marks and Gerald (Jerry) Nielsen, along with Board of Finance Chair Liz Mao. Nonincumbent candidates for the Board of Selectmen this year are Spencer McIlmurray and Charles Koons Jr. Together with Jim Palen Jr., they are the only endorsed candidates who are not incumbents this year. Here’s the full list of endorsed candidates (incumbents have asterisks after their names):

First Selectman: Jayme J. Stevenson*
Selectman; Spencer J. McIlmurray and Charles Alfred Koons, Jr.
Town Clerk: Donna E. Rajczewski*
Town Treasurer: Joan D. Hendrickson*
Tax Collector: Kathleen M. Larkins*
Board of Finance: James H. McLaughlin* and James Robert Palen, Jr. (who recently stepped down as chairman of the Republican Town Committee)
Board of Education: Elizabeth (Betsy) Hagerty-Ross* and Sarah Schneider-Zuro*
Board of Assessment Appeals: Richard P. Dolcetti*
Planning & Zoning Commission: Susan Cameron* and Richard Allen DiDonna*
Constables: Joseph Tarnowski* and Louis J. Calastro*

Although these are the candidates endorsed by the GOP Town Committee, the actual nominees will be chosen at a Republican Town Caucus, open to any registered Republican in town, to be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, July 27. The caucus takes place in Darien Town Hall Auditorium, 2 Renshaw Road.