The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)

Republican school board challenger­s sweep incumbents in Guilford primary

- By Christine DeRosa

GUILFORD — A contentiou­s Republican Board of Education race centered on how race is taught in town schools resulted Tuesday in the highest primary turnout in years, an official said.

The Republican newcomers who had received their party’s caucus endorsemen­t solidified their positions on the November ballot Tuesday by sweeping the incumbents and two other candidates at the polls.

Running under the slate name of “5 Reasons Why,” candidates Tim Chamberlai­n (1,275 votes), Nick Cusano (1,273), Aly Passarelli (1,273), Bill Maisano (1,269) and Danielle Scarpellin­o (1,265) earned the five Republican spots on the November ballot.

Amy Sullivan (468), Joseph Golino (462), Bill Mulligan (453), Jim O’Keefe (453) and Ted Sands

(432) did not earn enough votes after petitionin­g to force the primary. Incumbents Sullivan, Golino and

Sands led the petitionin­g effort after being ousted at their party caucus in July, when only 183 registered Republican­s came out to vote.

The primary had the highest voter turnout in years,

according to Republican Registrar Gloria Nemchuk. More than 47 percent turned out to the polls as of 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, or about 1,650 of the 3,511 registered Republican­s.

The party registrati­on numbers jumped by about

200 people since mid-August, when the primary was announced.

The “5 Reasons Why” slate have been running on a campaign aimed to stop what they view as the “indoctrina­tion” of students in

critical race theory and other so-called divisive initiative­s. The district’s superinten­dent has denied critical race theory

 ?? Photos by Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticu­t Media ?? Campaign volunteer Danielle Butti, right, waves to voters as they arrive at the Guilford Fire Department to vote in the Republican primary for the Board of Education in Guilford on Tuesday. Butti is the daughter of candidate Jim O'Keefe.
Photos by Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticu­t Media Campaign volunteer Danielle Butti, right, waves to voters as they arrive at the Guilford Fire Department to vote in the Republican primary for the Board of Education in Guilford on Tuesday. Butti is the daughter of candidate Jim O'Keefe.
 ??  ?? Julie Cusano, left, is handed a ballot from election official Carol Cipolla at the Guilford Fire Department, where voting took place in the Republican primary for the Board of Education in Guilford. Cusano is the wife of candidate Nick Cusano.
Julie Cusano, left, is handed a ballot from election official Carol Cipolla at the Guilford Fire Department, where voting took place in the Republican primary for the Board of Education in Guilford. Cusano is the wife of candidate Nick Cusano.
 ??  ?? Election official Carol Cipolla, right, checks the ID of Tom Cole at the Guilford Fire Department.
Election official Carol Cipolla, right, checks the ID of Tom Cole at the Guilford Fire Department.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States