Shelton recount confirms Perry’s win

SHELTON — City Republicans once again have full control of the Board of Aldermen.

In a mandatory recount of Ward 2 votes held Monday at the Registrar of Voters Office, incumbent Republican Eric McPherson was shown to have 1,396 votes, followed by fellow GOP candidate Ben Perry at 1,349, three votes more than Democrat challenger and downtown business owner Bryan Lizotte.

Incumbent Democrat

Kevin Kosty, who was named to fill the seat won in the 2021 election and later vacated by Michele Bialek, placed fourth with 1,336 votes.

The top two vote getters in each ward win seats on the board.

“I would like to say thank you to everyone who came out to vote and supported (McPherson) and myself for the Second Ward,” Perry said after the recount was complete. “It was a long hard fought election.”

Perry also praised his Democratic opponents for running a professional and respectful campaign.

The recount confirmed what Republicans had learned Election Day, but since the totals were too close to call — with Perry holding a six-vote edge on Lizotte and 15 over Kosty — a recount was mandated in Ward 2.

In Ward 1, incumbent Republican Anthony Simonetti earned 1,758 votes, followed by fellow incumbent Republican Porter McKinnon with 1,637 votes. Democrats Frank Donato and Nathan Diur had 1,222 and 1,110 votes, respectively.

In Ward 3, incumbent Republican Aldermen President John Anglace, Jr. topped the field with 1,696 votes. Fellow incumbent Republican Cris Balamaci earned 1,627 votes, followed by Democrats Jose Goncalves at 1,327 and Steven Guralnick at 1,280.

In Ward 4, incumbent Republicans Bernie Simons, with 1,744 votes, and Lorenzo Durante, with 1,763 votes, outpaced Democrat challengers Amanda Kilmartin, who collected 1,220 votes, and Ludwig Spinelli, with 1,142.