Newcomer to challenge Zeoli for town’s top seat

ORANGE — Political newcomer Connor Deane, 29, a town native and owner of a successful Fairfield business, announced he is seeking the Democratic nomination to run for first selectman.

“We are at a point where a new style of doing business will take Orange to a new level,” Deane said in a telephone interview. “Orange has been good to me and I want to give back . ... I feel I have something special to bring to the table.”

Incumbent Republican First Selectman Jim Zeoli, in his eighth term, has not formally announced whether he will run, but in a Facebook post implied he would run again.

“Congratulations to Connor Deane for your decision to run for First Selectman challenging me in 2021,” Zeoli said in the post. “... I look forward to a good campaign.”

Deane, son of Tim and Elizabeth Deane, attended Turkey Hill School, Amity High School and

University of Cincinnati’s CollegeConservatory of Music, where he earned a bachelor’s degree of fine arts, majoring in musical theater.

Soon after college graduation, at age 22, he founded the successful Broadway Method Academy in Fairfield, a nonprofit musical theater training program for young artists. Deane is executive director of the academy that partners with the Westport Country Playhouse and said if he is elected to the top spot in Orange, all the pieces are in place for others to run the business.

“As a small business owner, I bring perseverance, grit and leadership skills,” said Deane.

Deane cited what he sees as major issues in town, including a lack of communication from the first selectman’s office, the wrong kind of development, and sustainability.

He said every week during the pandemic as a business owner in Fairfield, the first selectwoman’s office gave detailed updates on the situation, including on schools, businesses and vaccines.

“As a business owner, I knew what was going on,” he said, while in Orange there was no clear commentary about what’s going on in local government.

Another issue, Deane said, is “economic growth,” which Zeoli has always considered one of his strong points. Deane said although Zeoli “touts” his record of bringing businesses to Orange, including Amazon, FedEx and United Illuminating, Deane doesn’t believe those are the right kinds of businesses for Orange.

“That’s great, but I think we need to think about what small business means to a town like Orange,” he said. “The Post Road is in need of a rebranding.”

He said taxes have gone up in Orange for several years and bringing more small businesses to Orange is the way to offset taxes.

“The last thing we should think about is bringing big-box retailers,” he said. Amazon is a “great taxpayer,” he said, “but their trucks are destroying our roads.”

Deane said another priority of his is preserving open space, noting the town’s “great history” as a farming community.

Deane said there has been a lack of change in town and “17 years is too long,” referring to Zeoli’s tenure. He said there has been a lack of fresh ideas.

Town Democrats have struggled to win the top office since Zeoli defeated two-term Democrat Mitch Goldblatt in 2005. Goldblatt now is a member of the Board of Selectman.

Democratic Party chairwoman Jody Dietch, in a release, praised Deane.

“Connor represents a generation who is informed and energized to make a difference in their communities,” Dietch said in the release. “He built a thriving organization doing what he loves and helping others to fulfill their dreams. That experience not only has given him business acumen

but empathy for others.”

Dietch said in the release that leadership isn’t just about winning elections, it’s “respecting others and showing the way to a better future.”

Deane said his musical theater experience prepared him well for politics, as he can go into a room and “talk to anybody,” he can connect well with people, as actors learn to connect with their characters, and he has a “thick skin” needed for politics after critical auditions in front of as many as 10 people.

Deane said he will knock on doors to connect with residents and learn what is on their minds.

“I want to meet with as many residents as the daylight will allow,” he said. “We’ll talk to residents because the conversation isn’t being had.”

Deane

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