Darien Elections 2015

Here’s Who Was Elected to the Representative Town Meeting

Major Parties Win All Five Selectmen Seats: 3 from GOP, 2 Democrats

Before You Vote: Ballot Races & Candidates; Cans, Vaccinations, Girl Scout Cookies

Election Letters to the Editor Deadlines for Darienite.com

Letters to the Editor on Tuesday’s Election

Letter: Polling Places Have Changed for Tuesday’s Election

You Can Contribute to Person-to-Person’s Election Day Food Drive

Darien Republican Town Committee Platform: These Are Our Key Priorities

For 25 Votes, You Too Might Be a Town Official: Run for the RTM

Darien Democrats Hold Campaign Kickoff Reception on Sunday, Oct 4

Register to Vote: Three Ways to Get Started

Werner Wins Top Ballot Spot for First Selectmen Petition Candidates

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

Joe Miceli, Rob Werner, Chris Noe, Spencer McIlmurray Return Petitions for Fall Election

Letters: First Selectman and GOP Town Committee on Caucus

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | November 5, 2015

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | November 3, 2015

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | November 3, 2015

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | October 30, 2015

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | October 28, 2015

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | October 28, 2015

Community Organizations

By David Gurliacci | October 28, 2015

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | October 15, 2015

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | September 28, 2015

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | September 28, 2015

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | September 21, 2015

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | September 1, 2015

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | August 31, 2015

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | August 7, 2015

Government & Politics

By David Gurliacci | July 29, 2015

These 41 Darien residents were elected Tuesday to the 57 seats up for election this year to the Representative Town Meeting. To fill out the remaining 16 positions, caucuses of the members of each of Darien’s six voting districts can meet in a caucus to elect new members, once the chairman of the district caucus holds a meeting. There were two write-in candidates (who didn’t file at the candidate registration deadline but then decided to run) — Christopher Ezbiansky won a seat in District 1 with 26 votes (just over the mandatory minimum of 25 votes for write-in candidates), and Kte Haueisen won a seat in District 5 (she received 43 votes). Jim Cameron in District 4 received more votes than any other RTM candidate — 343. Here are the votes for each member, according to the preliminary count released by the Registrars of Voters office:

District 1 (13 open seats, nine candidates on the ballot, one write-in candidate):

Stanley Buchesky — 268 votes
Patricia Bumgardner — 319
Curtis Butler — 266
Brent Hayes — 269
Patrick Keane — 272
Colin Kelly — 275
Bradley Pattelli — 266
Lois Schneider — 291
Bert von Stuelpnagel — 331
Christopher Ezbiansky (write-in) — 26

District 2 (eight open seats; two candidates):

Monica McNally — 265
Nina Miller — 287

District 3 (seven open seats; seven candidates):

Steven Anderson — 305
Adele Conniff — 299
Eugene Coyle — 309
Thomas Moore — 305
Seth Morton — 310
Edward Washecka — 277

District 4 (10 open seats; nine candidates):

Martha Banks — 324
A. James Cameron — 343
Lucy Fiore — 320
Frank Kemp — 322
Joseph Miceli — 331
Andrew Millar — 285
Susan Morrison — 321
William Peters III — 313
Sandra Savage — 318

District 5 (eight open seats; six candidates):

Carolyn Bayne — 303
Kenneth Fiveson Jr. — 264
Marlene Hayes — 276
Harry McLachlin — 271
James Patrick — 283
Kate Haueisen (write-in) — 43

District 6 (11 open seats; seven candidates):

Susan Lauritzen — 304
Martha Luz — 329
Emily McDermott — 325
Debra Ritchie — 322
Gary Swenson — 325
William Van Loan Jr. — 326
John Whitehead — 315

Correction: An earlier version of this article indicated there were only 57 seats on the Representative Town Meeting.

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. “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.

When you go vote today, here’s where the races are and what to do to register — and you may be able to get a vaccination at the same place, or get Girl Scout cookies. Voting hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The candidates on the ballot

For most of the ballot, there are only as many candidates as there are seats available, with the exception of the candidates who will (or won’t) sit on the Board of Selectmen. The top five vote-getters among the eight candidates for both Board of Selectmen and first selectmen can sit on the board, so your vote matters. Republican incumbent First Selectman Jayme Stevenson is running for re-election. There is no Democratic Party candidate for first selectman, but Rob Werner and Chris Noe are both running as candidates unaffiliated with any party. Any of these candidates who are among the top five vote-getters will be eligible to sit on the Board of Selectmen if the candidate wants.

You can send a letter to the editor about a candidate in Tuesday’s election as late as 11:59 p.m. Friday night if the letter mentions an opposing candidate, and as late as 11:59 p.m. Saturday if the letter is about a candidate you’re supporting. Don’t make the letters too long, but we don’t have a word limit. Send all letters to dave@darienite.com. We reserve the right to edit down letters for inappropriate content or length, but that problem hasn’t come up so far.

Darienite.com will accept letters to the editor about the election up to 11:59 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29. Email your letter no later than that to dave@darienite.com. Approachable, thoughtful, responsible candidates

To the editor:

Approachable, thoughtful, responsible. The first two words are Susan’s and Kip’s own view of themselves, the third is my assessment of the track record Jayme and the team has exhibited over the years leading our town.

To the editor:

This is a reminder to fellow residents to vote on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 6 a.m to 8 p.m.

Polling places have been changed in several instances:

District 1 — 35 Leroy Avenue (old Library building);
District 2 — Town Hall (2 Renshaw Road);
District 3 — Noroton Heights Fire Station (Rear/209 Noroton Ave.);
District 4 — Hindley School (10 Nearwater Lane);
District 5 — Town Hall (2 Renshaw Road);
District 6 — 35 Leroy Avenue (old Library building). In the event of an emergency precluding you from voting on November 3rd, applications for absentee ballots may be obtained by mail, phone request, in person, or downloaded from www.darienct.gov/content/104/114/220/19970.aspx. For any other additional information, check with the Town Clerk’s office, Town Hall Room 101, phone 203-656-7307, or check www.darienct.gov/voters. The Town Clerk’s Office is open weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Monday, Nov 2. — Nanci Natale

Publicity Chair
Darien Republican Town Committee

On Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., Person-to-Person will be collecting non-perishable foods at three polling locations in town to help stock the P2P Food Pantry in Darien. _________

This announcement is from Person-to-Person. _________

For your convenience, P2P donation boxes will be at each of the three polling locations in town (35 Leroy Ave., Noroton Heights Fire Department and Town Hall). In Fairfield County, nearly 12 percent of our neighbors are struggling with food insecurity.

Keeping local control and using town resources efficiently are among the “key priorities” in the 2015 election platform just issued by the Darien Republican Town Committee. The committee also urged voters to support its candidates in the Nov. 3 election in the following announcement:

The Darien Republican Town Committee endorses an excellent list of candidates who
exemplify the Republican Town Committee Platform as follows:

The Town of Darien is a mature, fully developed community consisting of several local commercial districts, a wide variety of low to higher density residential sub communities, a top grade public educational system, and a recreational infrastructure that
includes public beaches and parks as well as several private club facilities. As
the Town has evolved over many years, so has its utility and traffic infrastructure
much of which has been sized to accommodate existing residential density,
commercial development and transit related issues. Key priorities:

Maintain local control and efficient use of town resources;
Continue to actively engage with the newly formed regional Council of Governments;
Maintain the residential design and architecture of the town consistent with the Town
Plan of Conservation and Development and the zoning regulations;
Promote value-added redevelopment of outdated commercial, retail and residential
properties;
Promote the highest educational standards in our public schools including those
for special needs children;
Maintain and enhance existing town property resources consistent with community
needs;
Maintain and enhance Darien’s financial health and access to capital resources;
Promote a variety of residential housing for the community, including affordable
housing, consistent with the town’s zoning regulations and infrastructure
capacity.

The 100 seats on the Representative Town Meeting yet again don’t have even 100 candidates, and in no district is there a choice for voters, so if you want to be a write-in candidate, you have a good chance of getting on board. At Monday night’s meeting of the RTM, where less than 70 members were present, Town Clerk Donna Rajczewski announced that as of today, when the deadline to get on the ballot already has passed, there are fewer candidates than there are seats in every district but one (District 3, where there are just as many candidates as there are seats up for election). Here’s the breakdown:

District 1 — 13 seats — 9 candidates will be on the ballot
District 2 — 8 seats — 2 candidates
District 3 — 7 seats — 7 candidates
District 4 — 10 seats — 9 candidates
District 5 — 8 seats — 5 candidates
District 6 — 11 seats — 7 candidates

Here’s a map showing where the districts are, and here’s a street list showing which addresses are in which district. The deadline to become a write-in candidate for the Representative Town Meeting is the day before election day, and candidates must register at the Town Clerk’s Office. Candidates not only need to be the top vote-vote getters in their district for however many seats need to be filled, they also need to get at least 25 voters voting for them (“not like other offices”), Rajczewski said.

The Darien Democrats invite all voters to meet their candidates for the municipal election at a Campaign Kickoff reception on Sunday, Oct. 4 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the home of Martha and Gary Banks at 17 Harbor Road in Darien. [Correction: Organizers originally gave an incorrect address.]

Candidates for election November 3rd are Marc Thorne and Rob Richards for Board of Selectmen, Diana Maguire for Board of Finance and Kathrine Stein for Board of Education. Marc Thorne and Rob Richards will be new faces on the Board of Selectmen. Thorne has lived in town for almost forty years and has been an active member of the Representative Town Meeting with years of service on the RTM’s Rules and Finance and Budget Committees.

Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day. Here’s an announcement from Darien Registrars of Voters John Visi and Kathy Hammell (links and information in brackets has been added by Darienite.com):
An important election is coming up in November. There are multiple candidates for First Selectman and Selectmen – the voters have choices to make. In preparation for the Nov. 3 election, the Registrars of Voters will prepare a preliminary registration list on Sept. 29.

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.

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.

Three candidates have returned petitions to be on the November ballot as independent candidates for first selectman, and a candidate who bid for the GOP nomination for selectman has also returned petitions. There also may be a GOP primary, if one candidate — Joe Warren — who asked for petition forms returns them by the deadline. Warren lost his bid in the Republican Caucus to be the party’s endorsed candidate for a seat on the Board of Selectmen. Rob Werner, Joe Miceli and Chris Noe have all returned signed petitions to be candidates for first selectman, challenging incumbent Jayme Stevenson, who has the Republican nomination. Miceli is a former member of the Board of Selectman; Werner and Noe have run for office before.

« August 2022 »

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.