ANSONIA —Republicans expanded their dominance in city politics Tuesday by picking up two more seats on the Board of Aldermen.
The GOP now holds a 13 – 1 lead on the Board of Aldermen, knocking out incumbent Fourth Ward Alderwoman Diane Stroman and Second Ward Alderman William Phipps.
The city’s Registrar of Voters planned to post updated tallies here.
Mayor David Cassetti declared victory for a fifth term, receiving 2,679 votes according to unofficial results. There was no top of the ticket race this year, as Cassetti ran unopposed this election cycle for the first time since being elected in 2013.
“I just want to thank everyone, including the great citizens of the City of Ansonia for having faith in me,” said Cassetti. “I don’t care whether they voted for me or not, but I just want to thank everyone for standing up for us and looking forward to another prosperous two years.”
Photo By Jason Edwards
(From left to right) Alderman Chicago Rivers, school board member Tracey DeLibero, and Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti.
Supporters and candidates gathered at GOP party headquarters at 171 Main Street (the former Seccombes Men’s Shop) for election results to roll in.
John Marini, Ansonia GOP Party chairman and the city’s corporation counsel, said he viewed Tuesday’s results as a referendum on the Mayor and his team and a continuation of city growth and success.
“It was a tremendous vote of confidence from the residents letting us know we are moving in the right direction,” said Marini. “We don’t think of it as a Republican Party, but a party for the citizens of Ansonia united together.”
Photo By Jason Edwards
Mayor Cassetti, surrounded by his family, addresses the crowd Tuesday night.
It didn’t take long for Democrats, gathered at their headquarters across the street, to realize that it wasn’t their night.
As campaign manager Kianna DeCiuciscopied some of the early results on a whiteboard, reality quickly set in.
“That’s not good,” said one observer.
“It’s a wipeout,” said another.
Ansonia Democrats via Facebook
Democratic candidates John Feddern, Bill Phipps and Gary Farrar Jr. at the polls Tuesday.
Not long after, DeCiucisaddressed the roomful of supporters. “It appears we lost. It goes to show what we have to deal with in this city. Cassetti is very popular. We put our heart and soul into this. We ran a clean campaign and I’m proud of all the candidates.”
Joseph Jeannette Jr., an incumbent who represents the Third Ward, will be the only Democrat on Ansonia’s Board of Aldermen.
Looking for a silver lining, DeCiucis and other party leaders said the results revealed what Ansonia Democrats are up against – and where they need to improve.
“I think there was a lot of enthusiasm from both sides,” DeCiucis said. “We worked hard. They worked twice as hard. We had people (volunteering). They had twice as many people. In my opinion, we didn’t know what was going to happen until the numbers came in. It was anybody’s game. This year it’s their game.”
Brian Perkins, a candidate for Fifth Ward alderman, said the campaign can serve as a building block for Democrats. “The family we built here and the relationships we built with everyone, that is our victory. Being able to connect with so many amazing people in this town. We’ll grow back stronger. We’ll start from scratch and we’ll go from there.”
Gary Farrar Jr., the Democratic Town Committee chair and an aldermanic candidate, said the goal is to convince Ansonia voters that “Team Cassetti isn’t the only team that can make Ansonia prosperous. (Right now), if you’re not on Team Cassetti, you’re the outsiders. And that’s what we’ve got to break.”
“We’re at the bottom now,” he said. “So the only place to go is up.”
Ansonia Republican Registrar David Papcin said it didn’t look like any of the races Tuesday were close enough to trigger recounts.
Updated numbers from Head Moderator’s Report at 12:34 a.m. Wednesday
Bold denotes winner.
MAYOR
David Cassetti: 2,996
Write-in candidate Jonathan C. Krysinski received six votes
BOARD OF ALDERMEN
(vote for up to two per ward)
FIRST WARD
Democrat John Feddern: 166
Democrat Gary Farrar Jr.: 172
Republican Charles Stowe (incumbent): 337
Republican Dan King (incumbent): 320
SECOND WARD
Democrat William Phipps (incumbent): 188
No second nomination from Democrats
Republican Steve Adamowski: 217
Republican Bobbi Tar (incumbent): 234
THIRD WARD
Democrat Joseph Jeanette Jr. (incumbent): 158
No second nomination from Democrats
Republican Joseph Cassetti (incumbent): 249
No second nomination from Republicans
FOURTH WARD
Democrat Diane Stroman (incumbent): 114
Democrat Rohan Brown: 95
Republican Robert J. Knott, III: 140
Republican Anthony Spigarolo (incumbent): 140
FIFTH WARD
Democrat Brian Perkins: 190
Democrat David M. Rhodes: 208
Republican Joseph Jaumann (incumbent): 327
Republican Chicago Rivers (incumbent): 318
SIXTH WARD
Democrat Johnathan Vining: 205
Democrat Chris Grizzle:207
Republican Josh Shuart (incumbent): 472
Republican Tony Mammone (incumbent): 468
SEVENTH WARD
Democrat Len Duffus: 237
Democrat Steven Erlinheuser: 258
Republican David Blackwell Jr. (incumbent): 544
Republican Frank DeLibero, Jr. (incumbent): 535
TOWN & CITY CLERK
Beth Shortell Lynch: (incumbent)
Nominated by both the Ansonia Town Democratic Committee and the Ansonia Town Republican Committee
Received 1,165 votes on the Democratic line and 2,293 votes on the Republican line
TOWN & CITY TREASURER
(vote for one)
Democrat Kianna DeCiucis: 998
Republican Judy Larkin Nicolari (incumbent): 2,514
BOARD OF EDUCATION
(vote for up to two)
Democrat Lauren Todd: 1144
Democrat David Knapp: 1306
Republican Tracey DiLibero (incumbent): 2,304
Republican Elizabeth LaBerge: 2144
CITY SHERIFFS
(Numbers not available at 10:15 p.m. Tuesday)
(vote for up to three)
Democrat Joseph Jeanette Jr: 1339
Democrat Sean P. Rowley: 1518
Republican Dan King: 2177
Republican Bobbi Tar: 1981
Democrat Crystal Jaumann: 2236
