With a year of state elections ahead — governor, state representatives, state senator — both the Republican and Democratic parties in Ridgefield elected new town committees at January caucuses.
Republican Town Committee Chairman Bob Hebert said he’d already been hearing from candidates for governor who’d like to line up support from Ridgefield’s town committee.
“First of all, you want somebody who’s going to be qualified to run the state, and ideally you want someone with executive experience,” he said.
“You also want somebody that’s going to be electable.”
The GOP field includes state Sen. Toni Boucher, whose 26th District includes Ridgefield, as well Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton, state Senate Minority Leader John McKinney of Farifield, and former Ambassador to Ireland Tom Foley, who was the GOP candidate in 2010.
The candidates will have to woo the Ridgefield GOP’s delegates to the state convention one by one — they all make up their own mind, Mr. Hebert said.
“We’ll elect our delegation, but we always go ‘at large,’” he said. “The only requirement I make is that they really spend their time and do their due diligence and get to know the candidates. They have to go to the debates. They have to go to the one-on-one meetings.”
Democratic Town Committee Chairwoman Susan Cocco said town Democrats were also looking to a busy year, with candidates including Democratic 4th District Congressman Jim Himes and Gov. Dannel Malloy expected to be running.
“Congress is up for re-election, as well as the constitutional offices, our state representative — we’ve got 111th and 138th — as well as our state senator.
“Ridgefield Democrats plan on being heavily involved, not only at the state level but at the local level,” she said.
Democrats are already working on fund raising.
“The first thing on our agenda is hosting the fourth annual Ridgefield Chili Fest on March 9 at the Community Center,” she said. “It brings in 10 to 12 local restaurants, who host and showcase their famous chili, along with up to half a dozen amateur chili chefs.”
The Republican Town Committee members elected at the Jan. 13 caucus are Dave Choplinski, Vito Ciaravino, Geeta George, Michael Harmon, Bob Hebert, Marty Heiser, Alex Karsanidi, Susan Kleinmann, Doug Kleinmann, Linda Lavelle, Bob Lavelle, Keith Miller, Chris Murray, Marshall Odeen, Bob Padlowski, John Palermo, Michael Raduazzo, Joe Savino, Lorraine Taliani, Tom Watson, and Beth Yanity.
The Democratic Town Committee members elected at the party’s Jan. 7 caucus are Geoff Bartlett, Maureen Bartlett, Jeff Bonistalli Jr., Francesca Capodilupo, Susan Cocco, Sky Cole, Wendy Curran, Elinor Darvick, Murray Darvick, Timothy Dunphy, Dwayne Escola, Vincent Giordano, Alex Harris, Betty Kloth, Dick Koda, Tom Madden, Rudy Marconi, Katherine McGerald, Thomas McManus, Paul Murdock, Bob Opotzner, Susan Proctor, Paul Sutherland, and Betsy Thompson.