Seymour Democratic Slate Features Many ‘Fresh Faces’

SEYMOUR — Click the play button to listen to a podcast interview with Stephan Behuniak, chairman of the Seymour Town Democratic Committee.

In the Indy’s Navel Gazing” podcast, Behuniak goes over the list of municipal candidates his party endorsed July 22 for the November election.

Click play!

The Democrats, for the second election in a row, opted not to run a candidate against First Selectman Kurt Miller, a Republican.

Behuniak said his party just couldn’t see a path to victory in the First Selectman race, so they decided to use their time, money, and energy to concentrate on the under ticket races.

Click here to listen to Miller’s take on the campaign.

Behuniak said the Democrats have a solid list of candidates, including many fresh faces.

Of the 17 people we have running, eight are under the age of 40, which I think puts us right up there with any slate in the entire state in terms of young people, which I think is awesome,” Behuniak said. We haven’t seen a lot of electoral success recently, but we’ve seen a ton of success in getting some younger people and getting some new blood involved, and (we’re) really committed to the future.”

In a surprise move, Behuniak is not running another term on the Seymour Board of Selectmen. Instead, Behuniak is running for a seat on the Seymour Planning and Zoning Commission.

There are six seats on the Seymour Board of Selectmen. The Republicans nominated four candidates. The Democrats nominated two.

That means every candidate gets elected, including incumbent Democrat Rob VanEgghen, who is filling the vacancy created by the passing of Selectwoman Karen Stanek, and Democratic candidate Chris Bowen, a current member of the economic development commission and an alternate on the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Bowen isn’t your typical municipal candidate.

He announced his candidacy through a live video on his personal Facebook page — a bottle of whiskey by his side. But he’s caught the local service bug since getting married and buying a house in Seymour, where he grew up. Bowen embraces what Behuniak describes as radical transparency.” Click the play button on the podcast to hear more.

Behuniak, meanwhile, said he wants to shake up the town’s planning and zoning commission because its kick the can down the road” nature is holding Seymour back.

It’s a board that really needs some fresh blood in the mix,” Behuniak said.

At the end of the podcast embedded above, Behuniak shares his thoughts on Democrats in Ansonia nominating former Republican Phil Tripp for mayor.

The complete list of the Democratic slate is listed below:

Board of Selectmen

Rob VanEgghen

Chris Bowen

Board of Finance (4yr)

Bill Sawicki

Kristyn Hanewicz

Board of Finance (2yr)

Kwame Dunbar

Board of Finance (alt)

Jeff Hanewicz

Grace Brangwynne

Board of Education

Jim Garofolo

Kristen Harmeling

Planning and Zoning Commission

Stephan Behuniak

Mike Flynn

Board of Police Commissioners (4yr)

Tom Bennett

Board of Police Commissioners (2yr)

Colleen Fries

Library Board of Directors

Jean Uhelsky

Elizabeth Alvarez

Board of Assessment Appeals

Tom LaPaglia

Saundra Gesek

The YouTube edition of the podcast is posted below.

In addition to being on YouTube and Libsyn, the Valley Indy’s Navel Gazing” podcast is available on:

iTunes

Google Play

Sound Cloud

Click here for previous episodes.

Music courtesy of The Bad Slugs.

Keep local reporting alive. Donate.ValleyIndy.org