New London Republicans

announce slate of candidates for council and board of education, while Montville Democrats do the same.

New London — Looking to rebound from a shutout in the 2015 municipal elections, the Republican Town Committee on Tuesday endorsed 12 candidates for office — a slate of six people for both the City Council and Board of Education.

The candidates for City Council are Katherine Goulart, Tim Ryan, Martin Olsen, Michael Fred Hudson, Stephen Mullane and John Russell. Board of Education candidates are Steven Kirsch, Joseph Muscarella Jr., Karen Paul, Thomas Spencer Wise, Dylan Wardwell and Daniel Docker, who accepted a nomination from the floor at Tuesday’s meeting.

Republican Town Committee Chairwoman Shannon Brenek said all of the candidates share a common passion for serving the city and answering to the unmet needs of the citizens.

“I feel good about both slates. We have strong candidates, people who pay attention to what’s going on and people who are going to be fiscally responsible,” Brenek said. “It’s up to us, the RTC, to get these candidates elected.”

Goulart, Ryan, Olsen and Russell all had mounted unsuccessful bids for council in 2015 — Olsen as an incumbent who lost by just three votes and Russell as petitioning candidate.

Candidates said that the climate in the city had changed since the last election and seized on the recent nearly 10 percent tax increase as the current council’s possible downfall.

Hudson, a member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, said the all-Democratic City Council had placed party loyalty above the needs of the citizens.

“The only reason they sit on the council is because they have a D behind their name,” Hudson said.

Ryan, a former vice chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission, and others criticized the council’s inaction on a petition calling for cuts to the budget or a citywide vote.

Olsen called it a “thumb in the eye” to the hundreds of people who had signed the petition.

“The council now is missing accountability,” Ryan said. “We cannot choose candidates who support the continuance of current failed policies — change is needed.”

Russell, a former council member, recalled a time when taxes did not rise dramatically every year and said the city needs to “get ourselves back in line.”

Goulart, who could not make it to the meeting because of travel delays, said she would continue to promote conservatism within the city and fight the one-party rule and work on her campaign with the continuing theme of “unite New London.”

Mullane, a newcomer to the political arena and a single father of two kids, said if elected he would use common sense to run the city like a business and be accountable to the people.

Former council members Rob Pero and Adam Sprecace were nominated to run for council but both declined. Former mayoral candidate Bill Vogel also declined a nomination from the floor to run as a school board candidate.

Republicans acknowledged an uphill battle. The city has 15,635 registered voters: 7,736 Democrats, 1,469 Republicans, 6,225 unaffiliated and 204 registered under other parties.

The Democratic Town Committee meets on July 25 to vote on its slates.