The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
GOP interest surges as newcomers oust BOE incumbents
Contentious race saw highest voter turnout in years
GUILFORD — After a decisive win by the caucus endorsed Republican candidates in Tuesday’s Board of Education primary, eyes are on November’s general election.
Candidates Tim Chamberlain, Nick Cusano, Aly Passarelli, Bill Maisano and Danielle Scarpellino clinched the victory during what Republican Registrar Gloria Nemchuk called the highest voter turnout in years.
According to Tuesday’s results, 47 percent of Guilford’s 3,511 Republicans participated. The primary led to an increase in Republican party registration, with
over 200 signing up to vote since the primary was announced in mid-August. That came after just 183 participated in July’s Republican caucus.
The “5 Reasons Why” candidates garnered over 800 votes more than their challengers, Republicans for Education, a slate composed of incumbents Joseph Golino, Ted Sands, Amy Sullivan and newcomers Bill Mulligan and Jim O’Keefe.
Chamberlain, Cusano, Passarelli, Maisano and Scarpellino began their campaign by talking about critical race theory in Guilford schools, something town officials have denied is present. The campaign evolved to feature five reasons they were running for the board.
They want to stop what they view as the “indoctrination” of students in critical race theory and other so-called divisive initiatives, promote academic excellence using a high-quality, rigorous, content-filled curriculum accessible to all students, exercise financial responsibility by examining expenses, and “ending the purchase of materials that teach hate, hopelessness, and division,” demanding transparency and cultivating student skills, according to their platform.
Chamberlain (1,275 votes), Cusano (1,273), Passarelli (1,273), Maisano (1,269) and Scarpellino (1,265) earned the majority of votes. Sullivan (468), Golino (462), Mulligan (453), O’Keefe (453) and Sands (432), who petitioned to trigger the primary, were ousted.
O’Keefe said in an email on Wednesday that their opponents now face a more formidable challenge in November. “We were very disappointed with the results of the primary election, however, Guilford Republicans have spoken, and we accept the outcome.”
When asked if his slate plans to back the primary winners, O’Keefe said he will support candidates who align with their vision of what is best for the children of Guilford.
Republicans for Education
In a closing message on Republicans for Education’s website, the slate asked voters to vote their conscience, and pick candidates with the greatest likelihood of attracting swing voters since the Republican Party is the minority party in town.
“If we don’t attract many politically centrist swing voters, we believe it is a real possibility that all three Republican seats will be lost,” the statement read. “The long-term survival of our party is even more important in this primary. It’s not the team who wins on Tuesday that counts. It’s the team that wins in November that counts.”
This message differed from one on the slate’s campaign signs outside of polling places on Tuesday which referred to their candidates as the “good Republicans.”
Protect Guilford Schools
November’s Democratic slate Protect Guilford Schools, composed of two Democrats and three independents, did not return a request for comment to their campaign by publication time.
The slate, composed of incumbent Moira Rader and newcomers Jennifer Baldwin, Arnold Skretta, Kristy Faulkner and Noel Petra, did post on Facebook asking supporters to donate and volunteer with their campaign.
They also sent out a news release on Wednesday afternoon with their reactions to what they called the “extremist” Republicans’ primary win.
Rader said in the release that she never played politics, and has always had a good working relationship with her Republican colleagues on the board.
“It’s sad, but those days could be over,” Rader said.
Rader said “sensible moderates” are being replaced by candidates who “want to deny our children a diverse, supportive, and superior education by dragging us backward and dismantling our award-winning school district.”
“It’s simply unacceptable,” Rader said. “We won’t let that happen.”
Independent newcomer Baldwin said in the release that claims the winning candidates are fighting systemic racism while denying it exists are “preposterous.”
“I am not a politician, and this has never been an ambition of mine, but as soon as it became clear that extremism was in danger of seeping into our classrooms, I knew I had to stand up for my kids, and for all our kids,” Baldwin said.
The Protect Guilford Schools slate added that “extremism” has no place in Guilford and they will vigorously oppose it in all its forms.
Time to regroup
Winners of Tuesday’s primary are going to regroup and expand their message, Cusano said Tuesday night.
“The next step is to hopefully unify the Republican Party and reach out to independents,” Chamberlain said during the candidates’ celebration at the Guilford VFW Post 7666.
Passarelli spoke about wanting to focus more on funding social emotional learning, special education, STEM and athletics. She said that the 4 percent raise Superintendent Paul Freeman received this year could have been allocated to those programs.
Freeman’s 2020-21 salary was $253,880, according to data gathered in a Hearst Connecticut Media project earlier this year.
Another concern of Passarelli’s is the supports students in general and in special education have after being home schooled during the pandemic. Her sister-in-law is a special education teacher who has told Passarelli about her work, only making Passarelli more passionate.
“Want to talk equity? What are we doing to support special ed? What are we doing to support other high-needs students?” Passarelli asked during Tuesday’s celebration.
Passarelli also expressed that the foreign language department needs support as language will open up doors people don’t know exist yet, she said.