Ridgefield’s Marconi defeats Moccia
RIDGEFIELD — First Selectman Rudy Marconi won’t be vacating the office he’s held for the last 20 years.
That was the result of Tuesday’s election which saw Marconi, a Democrat, win reelection over Republican challenger and former Norwalk Mayor Dick Moccia.
Marconi received 4,763 votes to Moccia’s 2,472, according to unofficial numbers posted Tuesday night.
“Dick just came over and graciously conceded and congratulated me on the win. He was very gentlemanly about it and professional. I appreciated that.” said Marconi shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday. “I’m very excited about the victory and happy to look forward to serving Ridgefield for the next four years.”
Marconi won the top of the ticket, but he wasn’t the only Democrat celebrating victory in town on Election Day.
Ridgefield Democrats had another strong showing in the town’s municipal election, unofficially winning two of three seats that were up for election on the Board of Finance and two of the four seats up on the Board of Selectmen. Democrats Jonathan Steckler and Ken Sjoberg also won a pair of Board of Education seats, joining Republican newcomers Elizabeth Floegel, Rachel Ruggeri, and Sean McEvoy.
“We had another strong turnout,” said Marconi. “I think everyone on our team did a great job and I think our campaign was legitimate and to the point on key issues that are facing Ridgefield.”
In 2017, the Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee celebrated a “blue wave,” topping Ridgefield
Republicans in five out of six municipal races.
Fast forward two years and the results were much of the same.
Democratic incumbent Barbara Manners received 4,474 unofficial tallies — the most of any candidate in the Board of Selectmen race. Former finance board member Sean Connelly, a Democrat, unofficially won election to the Board of Selectmen with 4,194 voters.
Republican incumbents Maureen Kozlark and Bob Hebert also won reelection on the Board of Selectmen, keeping the board pretty much intact. Democrat Steve Zemo announced earlier this year he would’t be seeking reelection. His seat will go to Connelly.
“We just got the absentee ballot numbers and it looks like everyone of our candidates has won — 230, so we couldn’t be happier with the results,” said Alex Harris, chair of Ridgefield’s DTC. “I think our people and their platforms and experience resonated with the voters . ... I was at the polls earlier and heard over and over again how impressed voters were with the campaign we ran. And that tells you a lot. How you campaign is how you’re able to govern. And I think we’re going to have a continued positive, successful government here in Ridgefield.”