On Monday, March 14, my good friend Stephan Behuniak conducted his final meeting of the Seymour Democratic Town Committee as its chair. Stephan is the person who recruited me, a formerly registered Libertarian, to run as a Democrat, first for Selectman, and then for State Representative as my campaign manager.
With Stephan leaving DTC leadership, I believe that this is the right time for me to lose a label that does not align with who I am. The next day, I went to town hall and handed in my voter registration form, changing my party affiliation to unaffiliated.
This move has been a long time coming. I’ve always felt that party allegiances only benefit those that are in power, and my run in 2020 only confirmed that. I love the members of the Seymour DTC and have developed some deep and wonderful bonds with many of them. It’s the ones in Hartford and Washington that I have problems with, as they’ve tried to force their way of life on residents for which it doesn’t apply.
What I love is Seymour, and its 16,000 plus residents, many of whom are party members but the vast majority of whom don’t belong to any party. These residents need well-paved roads that bring their children to good schools, after which they go to good after school programs. When it comes to day-to-day life and the needs of Seymour residents, party allegiance is a distraction at best and an impediment at worst.
I believe so strongly about the need to get past the two-party system that when it comes time to run for my seat in 2023, I will not be running on any party line, like some in Derby, Ansonia and Beacon Falls have. I don’t begrudge them their decision, but I will be aiming to keep my seat the hard way, via signatures and an unaffiliated line on the ballot.
I realize this makes the work of being reelected harder. This is a risk I’m willing to take. The benefits far outweigh the potential negatives of losing.
If anyone has questions about my decision, or wants to discuss issues related to Seymour, please reach out to me at (203)645‑3508, or via email at [email protected].
Christopher Bowen
The writer is an elected member of the Seymour Board of Selectmen.
