Marconi, Ridgefield Dems celebrate big night
RIDGEFIELD — Jubilant Democrats celebrated a sweep in Ridgefield Tuesday night.
“A great night for Ridgefield Democrats,” First Selectman Rudy Marconi told the exuberant throng jammed into party headquarters on Main Street. “Each and every person in this room worked so hard. Thank you!”
Marconi, a 20year incumbent, had defeated his Republican challenger Dick Moccia, a former mayor of Norwalk, by a nearly 2to1 margin — 5,099 votes to Moccia’s 2,592.
“I just congratulated Rudy on his win,” Moccia said outside after an election night visit to Democratic headquarters.
“I told him I’d be at his swearingin,” Moccia said, “because we want to bring everyone together.”
“He was very gracious,” George Kain, a Democrat reelected to the Police Commission, said after Moccia left.
One race was so close it will go an automatic recount. Two Republicans competing for the last open seat on Board of Finance were within three votes of each other, with Greg Kabasakalian at 3,700 and David Cordisco, a former school board member, at 3,697. The recanvass will be at the Recreation Center on Tuesday, Nov. 12, starting at 9 a.m.
The two Democrats running for finance board, longtime chairman Dave Ulmer and Karen Ogden, were both elected comfortably.
And Democrats were celebrating a clean sweep.
“23 of 23 is incredible,” Marconi said.
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.
The Republicans fielded 28 candidates, and 12 came away with board or commission seats — but many of those races were uncontested.
Republicans who claimed victory in contested races are as follows: John Katz (Planning and Zoning), Maureen Kozlark and Bob Hebert (Board of Selectmen), Pat Sesto and Alan Pilch (Inland Wetlands Board, fouryear term), and Tim Bishop (Inland Wetlands Board, twoyear term).
Marconi and Ridgefield’s other newlyelected selectmen — Democrats Barbara Manners and Sean Connelly, and Republicans Maureen Kozlark and Bob Hebert — won four years in office.
But Marconi was thinking about next year.
“Everyone here,” Marconi told the headquarters crowd. “This is just the beginning of 2020!”
Moccia, who has lived in town five years, said Marconi’s deep Ridgefield roots were tough to overcome.
“I thought two things: lifelong resident, and me being not so long a resident, people felt I was a newcomer, coming in,” he said.
“I tried to reenergize the Republican Party,” he added. “I met a lot of great people. If I’d been in town a little longer, where people knew me better, ii might have been a different race.”
Accompanying Moccia on his visit to Democratic headquarters was Republican Town Chairwoman Hope Wise, a former Republican registrar of voters, school board member, and special education advocate
— who said the election marked the end of her career in politics.
“This is it,” Wise said. “We have a new town committee starting in January. I’ve had 30 years of fun and seen changes in town.”
Moccia said he, too, was planning to make this his last run for office in a career that included service on Ridgefield’s Parking Authority and Board of Finance, as well as four terms as mayor of Norwalk and a variety of other positions there.
“This is it,” he said. “Would I like to have done better? Yes,” Moccia said. “Now, I’ll have more time for Founders Hall.”
Marconi paid tribute to Moccia after his visit.
“Dick just came over and graciously conceded and congratulated me on the win. He was very gentlemanly about it and professional. I appreciated that.” Marconi said. “I’m very excited about the victory and happy to look forward to serving Ridgefield for the next four years.
“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.”
“This night didn’t happen in one year,” said Democratic Town Committee Chairman Alex Harris. “It represents 20 years of building the credibility of Democrats. That starts with Rudy, and with Barbara,” he said.
In addition to Marconi’s longtime running mate, Selectwoman Barbara Manners, Harris mentioned new Democratic Selectman Sean Connelly, who’d moved up from the finance board.
He also thanked Democratic officials who were stepping down — Selectman Steve Zemo, finance board member Jessica Mancini, school board member Fran Walton.
Among the happy Democrats is Izzy Caporale, elected to the Police Commission after serving 11 years as a dispatcher in the Ridgefield Police Department and 22 years in the Coast Guard before that.
“Oh, my God! Words can’t even describe how I feel right now,” Caporale said. “I’m so excited and ready to start working for the guys.”