Here’s a new twist on the local debate:
Incumbent Mayor Mark Lauretti has challenged his two opponents to debate him this month.
Usually the opponent does the challenging. But Lauretti had the Republican Town Committee chairman get a local business group to organize debate when he realized no candidates were going to challenge him.
“When people sit on the sidelines and throw stones and say things that are factually incorrect, it’s always a concern for me,” Lauretti said.
“I think people need to know what they stand for,” Lauretti said of the other candidates. “They’re obviously not concerned about it, but I’m happy to make the comparison myself.”
The Shelton Exchange Club has agreed to host a debate between the three candidates at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Bronson Country Club on Soundview Avenue.
Who’s Going?
So far, Citizen United candidate Mark Widomski has agreed to participate, said Thomas Turner, the Exchange Club president. Widomski was unable to be reached for comment Friday.
However, on Saturday morning, Chris Panek, chairman of Citizens United, said Widomski has not been invited.
“Citizens United has not been invited by anyone from the Exhange Club to participate in a debate. We have heard through Republican Town Committee Chairman Anthony Simonetti that a debate was being considered. As of today, I have not received any communication nor has our mayoral candidate Mark Widomski been contacted by anyone from the Exchange Club regarding a debate,” Panek said in an e‑mail.
Democrat Chris Jones is still deciding.
“It depends on where it’s going to be held, who’s going to moderate,” Jones said Friday morning, at which point he had not received an official invitation to the debate. “I’m not going in there with a stacked deck against me.”
David Gioiello, the Democratic Town Committee chairman, said he had spoken with Turner about the debate, but said there were certain details the town committee disagreed with. Specifically, Gioiello was not pleased with the idea holding the debate at the country club.
“It’s a private golf club. It’s not open to the public,” Gioiello said. “It’s just not a very good venue to hold a debate in.”
The debate will be open to the public, Turner said. The facility can hold about 250 people.
The Democrats were also skeptical of the way the debate was announced: by Republican Town Committee Chairman Anthony Simonetti at the Board of Education “Meet the Candidates” night on Wednesday.
“I was a little surprised that it’s being organized by the Republican Town Committee chairman,” Gioiello said. “We’re certainly willing to talk about it.”
The Democrats are also worried the debate is being thrown together at the last minute.
“Frankly, this is something that if they wanted to host it, it should have been started at least a month or two ago,” Gioiello said. “You can’t put together a quality debate in a week.”
Turner said the Exchange Club has hosted a debate between state representative candidates in the past.
The club hasn’t decided the format for this debate yet, Turner said.
Turner said he expects to be the moderator, unless one of the candidates objects.
Entrance to the debate will be free, and there will be a cash bar available, Turner said.
