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10/25/2017 08:00 AMSpreading across two pages, the participating parties in the 2017 Chester municipal elections are (in this order, top to bottom) the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, the Common Ground Party, and write-in votes for candidates without nominations. While Chester has one of the largest ballots in the state, relatively few of the candidates face challenges for the seat sought.
Contested Races
For first selectman, Democratic incumbent Lauren Gister is running against Republican Selectmen Carolyn Linn.
Charlene Janacek (D) is an incumbent member of the Board of Selectmen running against Republican nominee James Gryzbowski. There are two positions open on the board, but either of Janacek or Gryzbowski could lose to the losing first selectman candidate, should she receive more votes than either.
The hot race within the Board of Finance is the single, four-year alternate seat being chased by Michael Joplin (D), John O’Hare (R), and Michael Sanders (CGP).
Elaine Fitzgibbons (D) will race Samantha Grass (R) for the Planning & Zoning Commission four-year term that is open.
The Library Trustees have two positions open. Hoping to be seated are Elizabeth Tucker (D), Margaret Carter-Ward (D), and Kathy Merola (R).
District 33’s judge of probate vacancy is being sought by Essex attorney Jeannine Lewis (D) and Anselmo Delia (R), an attorney from Clinton. The probate court for District 33 is located in Old Saybrook and serves nine towns, including Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Saybrook, and Westbrook.
Some boards have contested races in which the unsuccessful candidate may still see service.
Two full-term positions are open for the Zoning Board of Appeals and three candidates. Errol Horner (D), John DeLaura (D), and John O’Hare (R) are all seeking that spot, but the candidate with the lowest votes can still be appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals as there are two open spots for two years. Erik Anderson (D) is certain of one of those spots since he is uncontested.
Three positions are open for full terms on the Water Pollution Control Authority. Four candidates will vie for those, but whichever candidate of Edward Ward III (D), Edmund Meehan (D), Samuel Chorches (D), and Meredith Devanney (R) is not successful in a bid for a full term can possibly be nominated to the empty two-year spot that remains open.
No Contest
Debra Calamari has served Chester as Town Clerk since 1990 and along with tax collector, Elizabeth Netsch, remains uncontested this election cycle. Both received cross-nominations from both the Democrats and the Republicans.
Board of Finance Democratic candidates Virginia Carmany and Richard Nygard will both be placed in the seats that they are seeking.
Robert Gorman (D), running for a full term as Board of Finance Alternate, will also be seated in that only available seat.
The Board of Education gets a total of three nominations from each town party for six seats this cycle, but only three Democrats and one Republican received nominations, so all will get a seat on the board. They are Rebecca Iselin (D), Maria Scherber (D), Robert Bibbiani (D), and Tom Englert (R). The Republican and Common Ground Parties can nominate others to possibly be appointed for partial terms at a later date.
The two-year Board of Education spot will go to Charlene Fearon (D), since she is uncontested.
The Chester Board of Assessment Appeals has two positions open and the only two nominees will fill them: Dudley Clark (D) and Kristina Pollack (R).
All three Democratic nominees for the vacant full-term spots on the Planning & Zoning Commission, Sally Murray, Jacqueline Stack, and Peter Zanardi, will be seated, as they are uncontested. Michael Sanders (CGP) will step uncontested into the Planning and Zoning Commission seat that has two years remaining.
Alternates for the Planning and Zoning Commission also include a full term that will go to unrivaled Republican nominee, Elizabeth Perreault and a vacant seat with four years remaining that will be filled by Patricia Bisacky (CHP).
The Inland Wetlands Commission has two full-term spots open. Eric Davison (nominated by Democrats and Republicans) will join Christine Darnell (D) in those positions. Common Ground Party nominee, Albert Bisacky, is the sole contender for the two-year position. Another position of similar terms will remain empty.
Trisha Brookhart (D) is running unopposed for the open seat on the Region 4 Board of Education.
Polls are open on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Polls in Connecticut open at 6 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Those in line before 8 p.m. who haven’t yet voted will be able to vote after 8 p.m. Voting is at Chester Town Hall, 203 Middlesex Avenue, 2nd floor. For more information, call the Registrar of Voters at 860-526-0013, Ext. 211, or email chesterregistrar@chesterct.org.
Voter registration can be done online at https://voterregistration.ct.gov. If you will be out of town on election day you can submit an application for an absentee ballot by contacting the Town Clerk at 860-526-0013 ext 511 or by downloading and filling out the online form at www.chesterct.gov.
Find information on all of the candidates including all political letters to the editor at Zip06.com/election.