GREENWICH — 2021 was a significant milestone in Greenwich politics.
Within the first month of the 12 months, Greenwich Democrats celebrated after they claimed a majority of registered voters on the town, taking the lead over Republicans for the primary time within the city’s historical past. The Democratic majority amongst voters was taken as an indication by quite a few observers that the political panorama was shifting.
On Election Day Tuesday, nevertheless, Republicans received town-wide political contests by a big margin, holding the workplace of first selectman in opposition to a Democratic challenger, as effectively solidifying management over different elected places of work. Whereas different once-powerful Republican strongholds have fallen into decline throughout the Northeast and New England, with voters more and more dropping away from Republican affiliation, Republicans in Greenwich have proven success on the poll field within the latest election.
Joe Angland, chairman of the Greenwich Democratic City Committee, mentioned he sees a lot of elements within the discrepancy between losses in native races and Democratic benefits in different contests.
“Democrats do have a registration benefit for the primary time,” he mentioned, however that benefit was not as clear-cut because it appeared.
In line with the most recent voter rolls launched at City Corridor this week, there are 12,547 registered Democrats in contrast with 12,007 registered Republicans — and 16,196 unaffiliated voters.
“While you have a look at that benefit, you understand that a few of it comes from individuals who have been registered Republicans (and) have re-registered as unaffiliated, presumably as a result of they have been offended by (President) Donald Trump. They’re technically unaffiliated,” however lean Republican, he mentioned. Angland mentioned he did some analysis on registrations a number of years in the past when Trump was president, and it appeared a “non-trivial” variety of native Republicans grew to become independents. “My surmise is that they didn’t change their basic views on politics, however they didn’t wish to be related to Donald Trump,” he mentioned.
Simply over twenty years in the past, Republicans loved a greater than two-to-one benefit over Democrats and a robust lead over independents or unaffiliated voters. However a considerable majority of Republicans started to drop off the rolls within the 2000s.
President Joe Biden received Greenwich by a large margin in 2020, with 61.42 p.c of the vote in contrast with Trump’s 36.63 p.c. In 2016, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton outpaced Trump amongst Greenwich voters, profitable 56.49 p.c of the vote to 39.14 p.c for the Republican candidate. And three of the state’s most outstanding and visual Democrats — Gov. Ned Lamont, U.S. Rep. Jim Himes and U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal — all name Greenwich dwelling.
However the development towards Democratic occasion dominance in nationwide elections has not confirmed to be a consider native elections, as Greenwich voters demonstrated this week. Republicans received handily in native contests, with First Selectman Fred Camillo, a Republican, profitable re-election by a large margin, demonstrating the occasion continues to carry a robust grip on native places of work and elections.
Camillo mentioned the rising numbers of Democrats in Greenwich was not a significant concern for him as an elected chief.
“You’ll be able to’t management that. However what you may management is the way you have interaction folks,” Camillo mentioned. “You solely have your file and your imaginative and prescient. I believe folks just like the path that the city is heading, they like the truth that we pay attention.
“I fear about doing my job. In case you do your job, and also you’re sincere, and also you talk, that takes care of itself,” he mentioned. “We’ve a lot of new residents right here. We don’t wish to brag in regards to the previous, we wish to present them issues are getting completed.”
Greenwich Republicans have a protracted custom of dominating native politics. The final time a Democrat was elected to the city’s prime workplace was 2001, when Richard Bergstresser received.
Democrats additionally made a robust displaying in 2018 when the occasion captured a lot of statewide seats, and Camillo spoke publicly in regards to the political panorama “beginning to development blue down right here” in Greenwich. Historic victories have been earned by Democrats state Rep. Stephen Meskers and state Sen. Alex Kasser, though Kasser resigned her place in 2021, citing household considerations. Political observers mentioned on the time that opposition to Trump had an affect on Greenwich, giving Democrats an edge that 12 months.
In the newest contest, Republican incumbent Camillo received 69 p.c of the vote over his Democratic challenger William Kelly. Janet Stone McGuigan, a Democratic candidate for a seat on the Board of Selectmen, received the third highest vote complete among the many 4 candidates for the board. The opposite Democrats working for positions at City Corridor all misplaced, and Republicans racked up important margins of victory in vote totals for members of the Board of Estimate and Taxation.
Many newcomers to Greenwich, transferring to the Connecticut suburbs on account of the coronavirus pandemic, lean Democratic and helped enhance the occasion’s quantity regionally, Angland mentioned. However the DTC the chairman mentioned newcomers to Greenwich are sometimes disinterested in native points whereas targeted on nationwide causes.
“The variety of Democrats on the town has elevated, partially, due to the Democratic leanings of latest individuals who have arrived on the town transferring in from New York Metropolis and elsewhere. They arrive right here as ardent Democrats on nationwide points — they subscribe to basic Democratic beliefs on points regarding social welfare, immigration, local weather change, and many others.,” Angland mentioned. “However whenever you get to native points in Greenwich, as newcomers, they’re in all probability not even conscious of what the problems are right here.”
Understanding Greenwich’s considerably arcane type of authorities, the Democratic occasion chief added, tended to be off-putting to latest arrivals, as effectively.
Lastly, Angland mentioned, Camillo and his administration earned public approval from a “rally-around-the-flag” impact prompted by the coronavirus, one which benefited Republicans in Greenwich general.
“In some methods he had the good thing about COVID being such an enormous situation. In a world the place some Republicans didn’t take it significantly, he took it significantly. For that he was to be recommended,” Angland mentioned. “He did a accountable job, and provided that was the most important factor taking place up to now two years, it’s not stunning to me folks would say, ‘He obtained the large one proper.’”
Dan Quigley, chairman of the Republican City Committee, mentioned Camillo made a robust effort to enchantment to unbiased voters and members of the opposition occasion.
“Republicans, Democrats, independents, I believe folks gave him huge kudos for what he did with COVID,” Quigley mentioned. “And I believe the backdrop has modified, from Trump to Biden, and that’s a tailwind for Republicans.”
Quigley mentioned he was involved in regards to the rising variety of Democrats in Greenwich, however he didn’t see it as an inevitable path to electoral success for the opposition.
“I believe our occasion has to reposition itself slightly bit. … However I believe our occasion made an announcement on this election, that the best way Fred is doing it — which is to be heart proper in a middle proper city, to succeed in throughout the aisle to compromise when you may, to deal with colleagues on the opposite facet with respect — I believe that’s what folks in a neighborhood election need,” the Republican chairman mentioned.
Greenwich Republicans’ strong displaying echoed Republican wins in different elements of the state in native contests.
An knowledgeable on Connecticut politics puzzled if the outcomes of the native elections throughout the state weren’t a part of a wider development.
Professor Gary Rose at Sacred Coronary heart College mentioned it’s a truism that “all politics are native,” however in some situations, native politics can mirror nationwide points and a broader temper among the many voters. Republicans defeated Democrats and flipped seats in Bristol, Colchester and Windsor Locks. In Danbury, Darien, New Britain and Westport, Republicans held off challenges in prime elected positions.
Rose mentioned he sensed that Republicans have been gaining tailwinds boosting Republican candidates in native contests resulting from obvious dissatisfaction with Biden’s administration.
“I could also be out on a limb on this,” Rose mentioned. “I do really feel in some races the place Republicans did effectively — regardless of the actual fact Biden carried the world — a few of it’s the politics of Washington are beginning to present up in our native races. There’s some resistance amongst voters to a number of the developments which have occurred below this president. I do really feel some voters went to the polls who’re fairly distressed over what they see in Washington, D.C.”
He cited considerations about infrastructure growth, obvious excessive ranges of unlawful immigration on the southern border and the withdrawal by U.S. forces from Afghanistan this summer season that appeared haphazard.
“You set it altogether, and I do really feel there was a visceral response to Biden displaying up in native races,” mentioned Rose, chair of the Division of Authorities at Sacred Coronary heart.
“I believe some affiliated voters might need stayed dwelling,” he mentioned, on account of nationwide developments.
“However am I saying all politics are nationwide? After all not,” Rose added.
In native races particularly, the professor mentioned, “there are a mixture of elements” involving personalities, administration types and different extremely native variables that decide who wins and who loses on election night time.
