By Beth Barhydt
The recent primary election for the Greenwich Republican Town Committee (RTC) was noteworthy for its exceptionally high voter participation and intense discussions about the party’s future direction.
In a series of exclusive interviews on Wednesday morning with the Greenwich Sentinel, election winners and party leaders discussed their views of the primary election.
Fred DeCaro, the town’s Republican Registrar of Voters, highlighted the turnout as well as the voting patterns, reporting an extraordinary turn out of 37.35% across all voting districts
“The consistency in the results appears to indicate that voters were aligning with specific slates,” DeCaro observed.
This election saw two distinct groups vying for positions in five districts: one slate challenging the current RTC leadership and another supporting it.
Slates endorsed by the incumbent RTC leadership were defeated in four of the five districts—specifically in districts 2, 4, 5, and 9. The winners in these districts have expressed support for appointing new leadership within the RTC. However, District 8’s results favored the slate backed by the incumbent leadership.
This pivotal election was initiated by the incumbent RTC leadership, who called for primaries in districts 4, 5, and 9, a move perceived by some as stemming from doubts about their ability to maintain their leadership roles. This decision catalyzed significant community involvement and spurred open discussions about the party’s direction.
Given the narrow victory margins in Districts 2 and 8, recounts are underway. It is generally anticipated that the initial results will stand.
DeCaro explained: “anytime the difference between the lowest winning candidate and the highest losing candidate is less than 20 votes, a recount is mandatory.”
The cost of these elections, totaling almost $34,000, was a point of contention.
“This was an outrageous waste of time and money over the egos of a few people,” a former chair of the RTC lamented, criticizing the expenditures as unnecessary.
In contrast, Edward Dadakis, another former RTC chair, called for unity: “I am a former chairman who has been through this,” he explained. “The competition is now over. It’s time all Greenwich Republicans come together focusing on the many things that unite us, working collaboratively to win elections & keeping our party strong.”
In District 2, Joe Kelly, who received the most votes in his district, articulated his belief in the community’s yearning for a renewed Republican ethos in Greenwich. “The best thing would be bringing civility back to the Republican party. The party spoke and in far greater percentages than expected. Statistically, the primary turnouts are about 25% or so, but we were nearer to 38%, so they want civility and unification back. I hope civility is back. It would be nice not to worry if there are any shots taken at my wife or myself or any of our friends, having somebody from an anonymous position disparaging nice people. Hopefully, we don’t have to worry about that anymore.”
In District 5 it was Andy Duus who received the most votes. He explained his position as an intersection between civility and conservative values. “Just because you are civil with colleagues and also with the opposition does not mean you’re any less conservative or any less eager to do what you feel needs to be done. The people who won their primaries from our side love the town and want to see progress going forward, and we want to cultivate and develop good candidates for office. We need to develop great candidates and let them govern.”
Lauren Rabin, Selectwoman of the Town of Greenwich, and former State Representative Mike Bocchino were the candidates receiving the most votes in Districts 9 and 4 respectively. They both emphasized a commitment to effective governance and community engagement. Rabin expressed her gratitude and vision for the future: “I want to thank everyone who came out on another rainy day to vote for RTC membership. It was clear in the results that voters support those that are governing and expect their RTC leadership to do the same. We have new faces joining us and I am excited to come together and move forward in a positive way to represent our party, our candidates, and our community.”
Bocchino, sharing a similar outlook, focused on local issues and uniting the party: “I want to thank everyone for coming out to vote. We are ready to start a new chapter that is not about national politics, but about what we are doing right here at home. As Republicans, we need to really go out and find great candidates who can work for all Greenwich residents.”
Joe Montanaro, who received the most votes in District 8, reflected on the extraordinary turnout and its significance: “I’m looking at the historical numbers, 500 people in person I believe, and another almost 100 absentees were turned in. It is remarkable, and I think it speaks to, if you look at the last couple of elections, the caucus turnouts in January, the November turnouts here in District 8 and across town. A record for the GOP. It’s really an energized bunch.”
First Selectman Fred Camillo reflected on the primary results saying, “The Republicans in town spoke loudly. They do want a return to not only civility, but they are looking to focus on what unites us here in town, not only as Republicans but as Greenwich residents. That’s the right thing to do.
“I just would ask people to look forward and not backwards. Lots of things were said that were not true. I think people rejected the misinformation that was out there. What’s done is done and you don’t get that back, unfortunately. But you do get to look forward and make it better.”
As Greenwich Republicans appear to look forward to healing divisions and working collaboratively, the focus shifts to the upcoming RTC leadership vote followed by recruiting candidates they believe will resonate with the community.
