Derby Mayor Anthony Staffieri celebrated a 38-vote victory over Democratic challenger Dan Foley Tuesday, but the Dems picked up several seats, especially on the Board of Aldermen.
Staffieri thanked about 100 supporters gathered at his Elizabeth Street headquarters for their “phenomenal” support.
He suggested not enough Republicans turned out at the polls.
“You can see how complacency plays into something,” he said. “That’s what the battle is all the time. You’ve got to get the people out there to vote.”
“I went to so many doors and they said ‘Why are you working so hard? You’re going to win by a mile,’” Staffieri recalled later. “I’m just surprised a lot of people did not come out and vote.”
Voter turnout for the mayor’s race was 44.7 percent.
Staffieri bested Foley by a margin of 1,451 to 1,413, according to unofficial numbers released Tuesday by Town Clerk Laura Wabno.
Staffieri’s 38-vote margin of victory was far smaller than 2009, when he beat Foley by 411 votes. He won in 2007 and 2005 by margins of 793 and 382, respectively.
Elsewhere, Democrats will have a 5 – 4 majority on the Board of Aldermen.
New Democratic Aldermen include Ron Sill, Art Gerckens — both from the Second Ward — and former Derby High School football coach Carmen DiCenso. They join Democrats Stephen Iacuone and Barbara DeGennaro, who were both re-elected as Aldermen.
At Democratic headquarters, also on Elizabeth Street, Foley was sad to have lost but lauded the performance of Democratic candidates elsewhere on the ballot.
“I’m glad the under-ticket did so well, but unfortunately, I fell short,” Foley said after hearing the results.
Foley added that although there was a very small difference in votes, he was not inclined to ask for a recount. His wife, Maureen, co-chair of fundraising for his campaign, said she was disappointed at the voter turnout.
“A lot of people who said they were going to vote didn’t come out,” she said. “Derby doesn’t want to change. They’re afraid taxes will go up.”
Foley said he will hold Staffieri accountable in the future, particularly to his redevelopment plans in Derby.
“We’re holding him to all of those press releases he sends out. We want to see what happens in Derby,” Foley said.
Staffieri’s campaign manager, Judy Szewczyk, who also won re-election to the Board of Apportionment and Taxation, was surprised to hear that fellow Republican tax board member Nelson Cummings didn’t get re-elected.
“It’s some of the best people that don’t make it back,” she said.
Szewczyk said Staffieri’s ready to get to work.
“It puts the burden on him to do something pretty cool this next two years,” she said of the narrow victory.
When asked if he will run again in the future, Foley said, “Never say never.”
According to revised results sent Wednesday afternoon by the Derby Town Clerk’s Office:
A *** denotes the winner.
MAYOR
Anthony Staffieri – R – 1451
Dan Foley, Jr. – D – 1413
TREASURER
Keith A. McLiverty — D *** — 2,492
Keith A. McLiverty — R *** — 40
(cross endorsed)
CONSTABLE
Sylvester Fusco — D *** — 1,371
Peter T. Duhaime — R *** — 1,201
BOARD OF ALDERMEN
First Ward
Joseph M. Gruttadauria Jr. — D — 288
Stephen M. Iacuone — D *** — 301
Barbara L. DeGennaro — D *** — 355
Beverly L. Moran — R *** — 304
Tony Szewczyk — R — 253
John Bartone — R — 247
Second Ward
Arthur T. Gerckens — D *** — 398
Ronald M. Sill — D *** — 497
Mark Searles — D — 381
James J. Benanto Jr. — R *** — 412
David M. Lenart — R — 363
Joseph L. DiMartino — R — 393
Third Ward
Carmen T. DiCenso — D *** — 748
Susan C. Churchill — D — 570
Walter R. Mayhew — D — 590
Joseph Bomba — R — 556
Scott M. Boulton — R *** — 609
Ken Hughes — R *** — 690
BOARD OF APPORTIONMENT AND TAXATION
Daniel D. Sexton — D *** — 1,444
Anita Dugatto — D *** — 1,549
Jason A. Cronk — D **** — 1,401
Carlo N. Malerba Jr. — D *** — 1,605
David J. Anroman — D *** — 1,500
James J. Butler — D *** — 1,623
Richard P. Dziekan — R *** — 1,589
Judy Szewczyk — R *** — 1,477
Nelson Cummings — R — 1,333
Carolyn M. Duhaime — R *** — 1,475
Jeremy R. Bell — R *** — 1,525
Mark B. Nichols — R — 1,388
BOARD OF EDUCATION
Kimberly A. Kreiger — D *** — 1,509
Andrew R. Mancini — D *** — 1,686
Stephanie D’Onofrio — D *** — 1,428
George M. Kurtyka — D *** — 1.509
Christine J. Robinson — D *** — 1,420
Kenneth R. Marcucio, Sr. — D *** — 1,710
Mary E. Porter — R — 1,256
Laura J. Harris — R *** — 1,380
Denise A. Bottone — R *** — 1,388
Rebecca O’Hara — R *** — 1,408
Casey L. Picheco — R — 1,313
James V. Gildea — R — 1,362
