DRTC Holds Caucus Under New Rules

At a caucus held under new rules on Monday evening, the Darien Republican Town Committee endorsed its slate of nominees: 12 men and nine women who, unless otherwise contested, will serve the DRTC for the next two years.

"I would like to thank all of you for coming out for what I believe is a very important, and some would say historic caucus," said DRTC Chairman Harry Artinian.

Recent revisions to DRTC membership policy that require the publication of nominees in advance of a caucus and prohibit nominations from the floor left little room for surprise; and with not a single petitioning candidate, Monday's caucus was by no means robust. But there's still a small possibility for drama, should Darien Republicans choose to challenge the DRTC's nominations on the political battlefield that is a primary.

The DRTC, whose members are determined by a mandatory town wide Republican caucus every two years, acts as a vehicle for nominating candidates for town offices and state conventions, as well as supporting the party's activities and its elected officials.

Said State Representative Terrie Wood at Monday's caucus:

"This will be a big year up in Hartford. Thank you for participating in democracy."

It was in the interest of democracy that the DRTC decided to revise its membership policy. Historically, the nominating committee announced their slate in the local paper before the start of the New Year. That was not the case in 2008, when the committee withheld nominees' names, and a slate entitled the "Green Team" took Town Hall by storm and mounted a challenge. The team, of which Artinian was a member, won places on the DRTC, and as a result, only two of DRTC nominating committee's candidates were elected.

"That did cause some problems," said DRTC Rules Committee representative Sam Schoonmaker. "That's not very transparent."

New revisions, approved by the DRTC last year and subsequently filed at both the local and state level, hope to promote transparency. They require the publication of names of all nominees at least 10 days prior to a caucus, granting a five-day window to potential challengers or petitioning candidates and prohibiting nominations form the floor. Nominations for municipal officials also now require a caucus.

But according to First Selectman Dave Campbell, not all Republicans support the rules change; some say that prohibiting nominations from the floor limits the flexibility of the caucus and quashes hope of "opening up the tent."

"The people who were most upset have already spoken with me, and they don't seem upset as they were at first. Things will calm down," said Campbell.

If the upset moves Republicans to primary, it comes at an approximate $25,000 price, paid for by Darien taxpayers. Campbell said the chances of a primary this time around are slim.

While the DRTC operates within his purview, Campbell said he could not influence the membership process. Perhaps the only time the First Selectman would "step in," he said, would be in the event the DRTC acted in such a way that countered the town's will at large.

"There are some really good new people coming on," said Campbell. "People need to watch and see what happens."

The DRTC Slate of Nominees 2010-2012:

Harry L.M. Artinian
John A. Bishko
John V. Boulton
Eugene F. Coyle
Charline V. Dale
Richard Allen DiDonna
Sara A. Franzese
Joi Reiner Gallo
Gilbert S. Kernan
Susan J. Marks
Robert Frederick Mazzotta
Joseph A. Pizzarelli
James G. Rickards
Debra McGarry Ritchie
Elyse G. Ryan
Walter J. Simon
Raymond D. Slavin
Victoria M. Smith
Peter L. Truebner
Gwendolyn W. van Paasschen
Sara K. Zagrodzky