Lauretti wins 10th term as Shelton mayor

Written by Fred Musante
Tuesday, 03 November 2009 23:39

Republican Mark A. Lauretti convincingly defeated his opponents in Tuesday’s election to win a 10th two-year term as the mayor of Shelton.

An unofficial vote tally gave Lauretti 6,094 votes, about 54.9 % of the total, over Democrat Chris Jones with 4,636 (about 41.7%).

Citizens United candidate Mark Widomski, a third-party wild card in the contest, garnered only 380 votes (about 3.4%), and was not a factor in the election.

In fact, not a single Citizens United candidate was elected, although the party, campaigning on a reformist, good-government platform, ran its biggest slate ever.

Shelton voter turnout was about 46.5%. The Huntington Herald will report complete official voting results when they become available.

Lauretti’s victory was clearly a referendum on both him personally and on his 18-year record. Although many voters cited an ongoing FBI corruption investigation that seems to implicate the mayor as their reason for voting against him, a solid majority nevertheless chose to back him for his record of low taxes and robust economic growth.

“There’s more people in Shelton who appreciate the value of what’s going on than who don’t,” Lauretti, visibly elated, told supporters at Republican campaign headquarters on Center Street after the last votes came in.

But he acknowledged that media coverage of the scandal and negative campaigning by Jones capitalizing on it had an effect on his victory.

In past years, Lauretti posted election victories with more than two-thirds of the vote. This year his victory margin was quite a bit less.

Besides his victory, the voters also elected another 7-to-1 Republican majority on the Board of Aldermen.

Incumbent Ward 1 Alderman Jack Finn, elected to a 13th term, will again be the only Democrat on the Board of Aldermen, as he was for the last two year term.

All other aldermen elected Tuesday were Republicans: incumbent Anthony Simonetti in Ward 1, incumbents Stanley Kudej and Eric McPherson in Ward 2, incumbents John Anglace Jr. and Lynn Farrell in Ward 3, and newcomer Noreen McGorty and incumbent John Papa in Ward 4.

According to the unofficial election results, Democrats won a 5-4 majority on the Board of Education, which was previously controlled by the Republicans.

Former mayor Michael Pacowta, a Democrat, received 6,097 votes, giving him the highest tally of all 15 candidates running for the nine school board seats.

Also elected were Democrats Kate Kutash, Arlene Liscinsky, Timothy Walsh and longtime school board member Paula Ellis, and Republicans Win Oppel, Thomas Minotti, Kathlene Yolish and John J. Francino-Quinn.

Voters elected six members of the Board of Apportionment & Taxation. They are Republicans Mark Holden, Charlotte Madar and Christopher Besescheck, and Democrats Jay Zikaras, Jud Crawford and Faith Hack.

The election retained the Republicans’ 4-2 majority on the Planning and Zoning Commission. Elected were Republicans Anthony Pogoda, Virginia Harger, Tom McGorty and Ruth Parkins, and Democrats Joan Flannery and Joseph Sedlock.

Alternate P&Z members Thomas Harbinson (Democrat) and Anthony Lapera (Republican) were elected; both ran unopposed.

Republican Shirley Keller and Democrat Jean Cayer were elected to the Library Board of Directors. (An earlier version of this story incorrectly said all four Library Board candidates were elected.)

Republicans at party headquarters watched tensely as Lauretti won relatively narrow margins in Wards 1 (White Hills) and 3 (Long Hill and Pine Rock Park). But when Ward 2, the Democrats’ strongest district, gave Lauretti a slight majority, their mood brightened.

All that was left was Ward 4, the Republican stronghold of Huntington, which delivered more than a 700-vote plurality, cinching Lauretti’s win.

“What happened? We lost,” Jones said matter of factly after getting the bad news at Democratic campaign headquarters on Howe Avenue.

“I guess the people are happy with the way things are going in town,” he added, and characterized the voters as “complacent.”

Jones promised he would continue to act as a “watchdog” over Shelton politics and government affairs.

Lauretti told reporters that his opponents campaigned using personal attacks, and noted that Jones and Widomski refused to debate him when the Shelton Exchange Club offered to host a debate.

“They had no interest in talking about the issues,” Lauretti said.

He said both Jones and Widomski had “dark pasts,” and added, “Those guys who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones,” but he declined to elaborate.

Lauretti said in his next term he would continue to pursue the same goals for Shelton he has in the past, particularly downtown development, and even hinted he might still run for higher office. “I’m not ruling it out.”