Big night for Republican candidates in Ansonia

ANSONIA — The Ansonia Republican Party had a very good Election Day.

Mayor David Cassetti, running unopposed, sailed to reelection on Tuesday night, while Republican incumbents not only retained their seats but picked up additional seats.

Only one Democratic alderman candidate, Joseph Jeanette, won his campaign while other candidates and even incumbents such as Diane Stroman, lost their reelection bids, according to unofficial results from the Ansonia Registrar of Voters as of 11 p.m. Republicans have nearly taken total control of the Board of Aldermen as a result, with Republican candidates saying the continued economic progress of the city swayed voters to their side.

Stroman won 99 votes and Rohan Brown, Democratic alderman candidate for Ward 4, won 81 votes, in effect losing to Republican alderman candidates Tony Spigarolo and Barry Knott, who won with 133 and 131 votes, respectively.

Ward 5 in particular was closely watched by both the Ansonia Democratic and Republican parties due to Burns’ Construction, which has a controversial rock crushing operation within the ward. Democratic candidates such as Brian Perkins latched on to the issue, claiming that the rock crushing was an example of the Republicans not listening to their constituents. The messaging was not enough to sway voters, however.

Perkins and his fellow ward candidate, David Rhodes, won 165 and 179 votes, respectively, while Republican aldermen Joseph Jaumann and Chicago Rivers won 276 and 272 votes, respectively, according to unofficial results. Perkins said that a representative from their party called their Republican opponents to congratulate them.

Perkins and his fellow candidates decamped from their campaign headquarters, by 9:50 p.m.

His campaign manager, Kianna DeCiucis, also a Democratic candidate for city treasurer, also lost her bid for election.

“It is what it is,” Perkins said, when reached by text message about his loss.