Update: The unofficial results from the Ansonia registrar’s office have been added to the end of this story.
Ansonia Republicans picked up four seats on the Board of Aldermen in Tuesday’s election.
Republicans Philip Tripp and Charles Stowe took both seats in the Second Ward, Joan Radin took one seat in the Fifth Ward, and John P. Marini took one seat in the Seventh.
Democrats continue to hold the vast majority of seats on the Board of Aldermen, with 10 Democrats elected to the board Tuesday. Mayor James T. Della Volpe, a Democrat, also won re-election in an uncontested race.
The Republican gains are surprising in Ansonia because the city went a decade without Republican representation on the Board of Aldermen. Marini broke the dry spell when he was elected in 2009.
Della Volpe, 63, was elected Tuesday to his seventh term in office.
“Personally I feel honored and humbled that I’m going to be able to lead the city for another two years, and I look forward to doing it,” said Della Volpe. “But we lost a couple of good people tonight.”
Those “good people” include the Board of Aldermen President Stephen Blume, who lost his seat in the Seventh Ward. Three other Democrat incumbents — Jay Fainer, Peter Danielczuk and Jason Bender — were not re-elected to their seats.
“I’d like to thank Steve Blume, Jay Fainer, Pete Danielczuk, and Jason Bender for all of the work you’ve done for our city,” Della Volpe said, addressing those Democrats who were not re-elected.
Eileen Krugel, the chairman of the Democratic Town Committee, said she thought the Democrats who were not re-elected would nonetheless remain active in the city.
“Steve (Blume) brought us in a direction that I didn’t think we’d be able to move in, and I’m sure he’ll be active with other things throughout the city,” Krugel said. “I can’t say enough about all of the hard work. I’ve never seen a team work like this before. All of the kids that came down, the families. We got to know a lot of people that we didn’t know before, and had a lot of fun doing it.”
Democrats elected to the Board of Aldermen Tuesday were:
- Edward Adomowski and Robert Duffus in the First Ward
- Joseph Jeanette and Patricia Macero in the Third Ward
- Jerome Fainer and Robert Beall in the Fourth Ward
- Howard Madigosky in the Fifth Ward
- Scott Nihill and Gene Sharkey in the Sixth Ward
- David Knapp in the Seventh Ward.
See all results at the end of this story.
“We’ve worked extremely hard on this campaign, but I guess we have to work a little harder,” Della Volpe said. “We have to understand where we made our mistakes. I want to congratulate the board that was elected. We’ve got a new board, we’re going to have to work with them. We want to do what’s best for the city, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
The Republicans said they were happy with the results. Three people elected are new to the board, while Marini currently serves on the board, only in a different ward. Marini moved from the Third ward to the Seventh ward this year.
When Marini was elected in 2009, it was the first time a Republican had served on the board in 10 years.
“You know, I’m stunned, excited,” said Joan Radin, a newly elected Republican to the Fifth Ward, and chairman of the Republican Town Committee. “It’s an entirely new experience. I’ve been on the other side of things, in the audience, and now I’m in the position where I’m the person people will come to with their problems and ideas. It’s thrilling, really.”
Marini referenced recent campaign literature sent out by the Democrats this past weekend, and said the voters “rejected negative politics” in electing four Republicans.
“It should never be about politics, it should be about putting the city first,” Marini went on to say. “We need to reject bitter, partisan, negative politics. It has no place in Ansonia, no place in our community.”
“In the end this is about the residents, and we’re excited to work for them and to work hand in hand with the Democrats.”
The unofficial results from the city’s registrars office are listed below:
A *** denotes winner
MAYOR
James T. Della Volpe — D *** — 1,940
BOARD OF ALDERMEN
First Ward
Vote for any two (no minority rule)
Edward Adamowski — D — 210***
Robert Duffus — D — 182***
Jennifer R. Drauss — R — 98
Randolph F. Carroll — R — 123
Second Ward
Vote for any two (no minority rule)
Peter J. Danielczuk — D — 139
Jason Bender — D — 127
Philip M. Tripp — R — 271***
Charles W. Stowe — R — 207***
Third Ward
Vote for any two (no minority rule)
Joseph Jeanette — D*** — 212
Patricia S. Macero — D*** — 222
(uncontested)
Fourth Ward
Vote for any two (no minority rule)
Jerome M. Fainer — D*** — 108
Robert Beall — D*** — 109
(uncontested)
Fifth Ward
Vote for any two (no minority rule)
Jay Fainer — D — 141
Howard D. Madigosky — D — 170***
Joan P. Radin — R — 164***
Sixth Ward
Vote for any two (no minority rule)
Scott Nihill — D — 333***
Gene Sharkey — D — 330***
Irving F. Reed — R — 176
Seventh Ward
Vote for any two (no minority rule)
Stephen Blume — D — 377
David A. Knapp — D — 511 ***
John P. Marini — R — 553 ***
TOWN AND CITY CLERK
Madeline H. Bottone — D*** — 2,133
(uncontested)
TOWN AND CITY TREASURER
Ronald V. Greski — D*** — 2,045
(uncontested)
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Vote for any two. Four will be elected.
ALL WERE ELECTED
Edward Sharkey Jr. — D — 1,409
Carmen Pitney Sr. — D — 1,422
William C. Nimons — R — 1,213
Robert J. Caruso — R — 1,136
SHERIFF
Vote for any three. Four will be elected.
ALL WERE ELECTED
Sean P. Rowley — D — 1,764
Timothy Holman — D — 1,725
Louis R. Macero — D — 1,799
Peter Gujski — R — 1,129
