Printer Friendly Version - North Branford Retains GOP Majority; Viglione Elected Mayor

On Nov. 5, incumbent Republican Bob Viglione (left) was elected as North Branford's new Mayor, and incumbent Republican Tom Zampano (center) as Deputy Mayor; they're shown here at the polls on Election Day with GOP candidate Ron Pelliccia (right), who also won a seat on the Town Council.Pam Johnson/The Sound

North Branford voters carried the Republican's full slate of six Town Council candidates into office, while also electing three of six Democratic candidates on the ballot to complete nine-person board, which is the town's top decision-making body. The GOP also retained the majority on the Board of Education. Over 30 percent of the town's registered voters turned out to vote in the municipal election on Nov. 5.

Based on the number of votes tallied on election night, the GOP's Bob Viglione was elected as North Branford's new Mayor, earning 1,721 votes; and Republican Tom Zampano will serve as North Branford's new Deputy Mayor, having earned 1,626 votes. Both Viglione and Zampano will return to serve their second consecutive terms with the Town Council, joined by re-elected Republican council members Michael Doody and Rose Marie Angeloni (who served a Mayor and Deputy Mayor, respectively, on the 2017-19 Town Council), together with first-time GOP council members Walter Goad and Ron Pelliccia, re-elected Democratic council members Joe Faughnan and Marie Diamond and first-time Democratic councilman Lou Paternoster.

In addition to earning the lion's share of votes for Viglione and Zampano, the GOP led most of the day's Town Council numbers at the polls: Angeloni (R) received 1,612 votes; Pelliccia (R) received 1,601 votes, Doody (R) received 1,593 votes, Paternoster (D) received 1,580 votes, Faughnan (D) received 1,522 votes, Goad (R) received 1,501 votes and Diamond received 1,416 votes.

With a close tenth-place election night finish of 1404 total votes, Democratic Town Council candidate Joseph P. Martin was entitled to a recount, but waived his right to a recount, according to North Branford Town Clerk Lisa Valenti.

North Branford also supported retaining a GOP majority on the seven-member Board of Education. The three open BOE seats in the 2019 race will be filled by returning members who retained their BOE seats following the Nov. 5 election, including Republican Cynthia Rice (1,594 votes), Democrat Vincent Mase Sr. (1,548 votes) and Democrat Jana Balsamo (1,504 votes).

North Branford's 2019 municipal election brought 30.8 percent of the town's registered voters to the polls, according to election night tallies shared by Valenti. In District One (Jerome Harrison School), 29.6 percent of registered voters (1,578) came out; and in District Two (Stanley T. Williams Community Center), 32.3 percent (1,441) voted.