Politics & Government

Stevenson Elected First Selectman; GOP in Majority; Swearing-in Saturday

Democrats David Bayne and John Lundeen also won seats on the board.

Editor's note: full district-by-district tallies are now available here

12:51 p.m.: Swearing-in set for Saturday

The new Board of Selectmen will be sworn in at Town Hall this Saturday, Nov. 12 at 10 a.m. Weather permitting, the ceremony will take place outside by the flagpoles.

Find out what's happening in Darienwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

12:18 p.m.: Two elected to RTM via write-in votes

In addition to the 42 Representative Town Meeting candidates on the ballot across Darien's six districts — all of whom won on Tuesday — two people were elected to the Representative Town Meeting via write-in votes.

Find out what's happening in Darienwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In District I, Deepika Sakseba won election with 107 write-in votes, while in District V Patti Bumgardner won with 205. A second District V write-in bid by Richard Albu was unsuccessful, as his tally of 41 votes placed him 8th in a race for seven seats.

Meanwhile, the candidate who received the most support for any town-wide office was Town Clerk Donna Rajczewski, who won her unopposed reelection bid with a total of 3,593 votes (76.7% of all ballots cast).

Wednesday, 6:31 a.m.: Bayne: 'The Darien voters have spoken'

At Democratic headquarters in Noroton Heights — where Tuesday evening took on a subdued tone as it became clear the party's bid for First selectman and control of the Board of Selectmen had been unsuccessful — selectman David Bayne said he was "disappointed" with the results but sounded a note of optimism for the coming term.

"Obviously I hoped we would win, and I thought we'd do a lot better, but the Darien voters have spoken," Bayne said.

"Tomorrow we're going to wake up, and we're not going to be Republicans and Democrats anymore, we're going to be Darien selectmen. And we need to start Nov. 9 with a new day for Darien," he added.

Bayne said that Jayme Stevenson had made it a point to find a time when all five board members could be sworn in together.

"I thought that was a very nice touch. She reached out to us and said we need to start together as a team," he said.

Bayne, who had characterized Tuesday's vote as a referendum on the Republican-led $6.979 million facilities shuffle plan, also said he was "not going to lead the charge" in to trigger a bona fide referendum.

"If the referendum happens and it actually gets stopped, we'll try to look at something new and different, but at this point the voters have spoken and I need to concede that and move forward," Bayne said.

Bayne said that he was particularly disappointed that running mate Vickie Riccardo's bid for selectman had been unsuccessful.

11:28 p.m.: Stevenson: 'They do not want partisan politics'

Appearing before a crowd of supporters after Tuesday's election results were released, First Selectman-elect Jayme Stevenson thanked fellow Republicans for supporting her campaign while pledging to lead a nonpartisan government.

“I know that everyone played a little role in our success tonight,” Stevenson said, speaking at the Republicans' downtown campaign headquarters. “Our success is your success."

"What this vote really means to me, like two years ago, is that Darien wants leadership like ours. They want honesty, they want integrity, they want common sense, they want a business approach to government. They do not want partisan politics," she added.

After the Board of Selectmen results were tallied, Democrats John Lundeen, David Bayne, and Vickie Riccardo made a brief visit to Republican headquarters and shared friendly words with Stevenson, Dave Campbell, and Jerry Nielsen.

Before the incoming selectmen meet for official business, Stevenson reiterated her wish from the League of Women Voters' debate that the group go bowling together.

Nielsen expressed a similar view.

“I want to reach out to John Lundeen, the other new member,” Nielsen said. “I want to offer my congratulations, sit down with him, work together, and be cordial."

9:46 p.m.: Slinsky loses reelection bid for constable

In tonight's other contested races, incumbent Democratic constable William John Slinksy, Sr. lost in a four-way race for three constable positions. Democrats David W. Morgan and Republicans Joseph Tarnowski and Louis J. Calastro — a first-time candidate — won the three posts.

District-by-district tallies for all offices are now available here

9:34 p.m.: Totals for town-wide offices

District-by-district tallies for town-wide offices are now available here. Representative Town Meeting results to come shortly.

9:03 p.m.: Final vote tallies

Below are the final vote totals for the first selectman and selectmen candidates (more numbers to come shortly):

  • John Lundeen: 1,525
  • Jayme Stevenson: 3,078
  • Chris Noe: 63
  • Vickie Riccardo: 1,473
  • David Bayne: 1,664 
  • Dave Campbell: 3,033 
  • Jerry Nielsen: 3,022 
  • John Lundeen [drop-down]: 1,525 
  • Chris Noe [drop-down]: 63

8:52 p.m.: STEVENSON ELECTED FIRST SELECTMAN; GOP RETAINS BOARD MAJORITY

Republican Jayme Stevenson has comfortably defeated Democrat John Lundeen and Ultra-Conservative Chris Noe to become the next First Selectman of Darien, according to vote totals from the Registrars of Voters' Office.

Joining her on the board will be fellow Republicans Dave Campbell and Jerry Nielsen, keeping the GOP's majority intact. They, along with Democrats David Bayne and John Lundeen, garnered enough votes for seats on the board.

Noe and Democratic selectman candidate Vickie Riccardo fell short their respective bids.

Vote tallies will be posted momentarily.

• 8:10 p.m.: Final turnout numbers

Final voter turnout in Darien: 4,686 ballots cast (4,479 in person, 207 absentee), good for 37.6% of registered voters. That's down 6.1% from the 2009 municipal election.

• 8:00 p.m.: Polls closed

It's after 8 p.m., which means the polls are now closed across Darien. Keep it at Patch for continuous election night updates, and visit our results page for final tallies as they become available.

• 7:30 p.m.: Candidate plans

With the polls closing in half an hour, Jayme Stevenson and fellow Republican candidates are set to gather at their party's downtown headquarters to watch returns, while John Lundeen and other Democrats will be at their party's base in Noroton Heights. Ultra-Conservative Chris Noe reports that he will be having dinner at The Goose at 8 p.m.

• 7:07 p.m.: One hour to go; turnout at sluggish 32.7%

In-person voter turnout as of 7 p.m. was 32.7%, or 4,069 ballots cast. That's 5.5 percentage points behind the '09 municipal election pace.

An additional 207 absentee ballots (equal to 1.7% of registered voters) have also been cast, putting total turnout at 34.3%.

• Voter Turnout

The numbers below do not include absentee ballots.


7 a.m. 8 a.m. 9 a.m. 10 a.m. 11 a.m. 12 p.m. 1 p.m. Votes Cast 231 530 838 1,131 1,468 1,795 2,057 2011 Turnout 1.9% 4.3% 6.7% 9.1% 11.8% 14.4% 16.5% 2009 Turnout 2.1% 4.9% 7.9% 10.9% 14.2% 17.6% 20.1%
2 p.m. 3 p.m. 4 p.m. 5 p.m. 6 p.m. 7 p.m. 8 p.m. Votes Cast 2,326
2,647 2,940 3,307 3,678 4,069 4,686 2011 Turnout 18.7% 21.3% 23.6% 26.6% 29.5% 32.7% 37.6% 2009 Turnout 22.6% 25.3% 28.1% 31.4% 34.5% 38.2% 41.2%

• 6:18 p.m.: Overall turnout may fall short of 40%

Democratic Registrar of Voters Tom Dunn said that he doesn't expect turnout to surpass 40% this evening, given the slow pace of in-person ballots cast up to this point and the comparatively low number of absentee ballots received (about 207).

• 6:09 p.m.: With two hours left, turnout at 29.5%

With less than two hours of voting remaining, 3,678 registered voters — or 29.5% — had cast ballots as of 6 p.m. That's five percentage points below the 2009 pace.

• 5:11 p.m.: Turnout climbs to 26.6%

At 5 p.m., 3,307 people — or 26.6% of registered voters — had cast in-person ballots in Darien. That's 4.8 percentage points behind the pace of the 2009 municipal election.

Around 225 absentee ballots have also been received by the Registrars of Voters, good for a total turnout of 28.3%.

• 4:06 p.m.: Turnout at 23.6%, still behind '09 pace

As of 4 p.m., 2,940 votes had been cast in Darien, or 23.6% of registered voters. In 2009, 28.1 percent had cast a ballot by this hour.

• 3:11 p.m.: Turnout at 21.3%

As of 3 p.m., the total number of votes cast in Darien stood at 2,647, or 21.3% of registered voters. That's compared to 25.3% turnout at the same time two years ago.

• 2:28 p.m.: Turnout at 18.7%

2,326 ballots had been cast by 2 p.m., according to the Registrars of Voters' Office, or 18.7 percent of registered voters.

The turnout gap between today and the '09 election has widened further to 3.9 percentage points over the past hour.

• 1:21 p.m.: At midpoint, turnout lagging behind '09

As of 1 p.m. — the midpoint of Tuesday's 14-hour election window — 2,057 voters had cast their ballots in Darien, or 16.5% of the town's 12,450-odd registered voters.

That's noticeably lower than at the same point during the 2009 municipal election, when turnout stood at 20.1%.

• 1:00 p.m.: Candidates out and about

Each of three candidates for first selectman is circulating between Darien's six polling stations today, shaking hands and greeting voters as they come and go.

"I'm just really glad that we're here on Election Day, and we all have an opportunity to vote, and that people have an opportunity to speak and be heard," said Democrat John Lundeen, who was joined at by retiring selectman Callie Sullivan. "It's a celebration of what makes this country what it is. I'm glad to be participating in it."

Republican Jayme Stevenson, campaigning at alongside outgoing First Selectman Dave Campbell, said it was "a beautiful day to be out and about to be talking to people."

"Turnout is a little slow, but I'm sure that's because everybody's at the beach," Stevenson said. "I'm very excited. The response has been extremely positive, and we'll see how it all turns out tonight after 8 p.m."

Ultra-Conservative candidate Chris Noe, who has stationed T-shirt-clad cardboard cutouts of himself at each of the polling stations, said it would be "a blast" to see how the election ends.

"It's amazing what this town is made of. It's great being part of it," Noe said, greeting voters at Town Hall.

• 12:34 p.m.: 1,795 ballots cast; 210 absentees received

As of 12 p.m., the number of ballots cast had risen to 1,795, or 14.4% of registered voters. That's compared to 17.6% at this hour in the 2009 municipal election.

According to Democratic Registrar of Voters Tom Dunn, about 210 absentee ballots had also been received by midday, a number "that's not likely to go up much."

• 11:36 a.m.: 1,468 ballots

As of 11 a.m., 1,468 — or almost 12% of registered voters — had cast ballots in Darien. That's about 2.4 percentage points lower than the turnout at this hour two years ago.

• 10:38 a.m.: Vote & Vax

From 3 to 7 p.m. today in the auditorium, the is hosting . No appointment is necessary. The cost of the vaccine is $30.00, payable by check or cash (no fee for those with Medicare Part B). .

• 10:22 a.m.: 1,131 ballots so far

As of 10 a.m., the number of ballots cast had climbed to 1,131, or 9% of registered voters. That's about 1.8 percentage points lower than the turnout at the same time two years ago.

• 9:45 a.m.: 838 ballots so far

As of 9 a.m., 838 Darien residents — or just under 7% of the roughly 12,450 registered voters in town — had cast their ballots. That's about 1 percentage point lower than at the same point in the 2009 municipal election, according to the Registrars of Voters' Office.

• 6:00 a.m.: Polls open

The polls are now open in Darien. See below for information on locations and voting procedures.

• 12:00 a.m.: The big day

It's Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 — Election Day.

Across Darien, residents will visit the ballot box to decide between 24 candidates vying for 21 town-wide posts. The polls are open today from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Most are running for office unopposed, but Tuesday's marquee event — the race for first selectman and control of the Board of Selectmen — will pit seven candidates against each other for five seats and promises to influence a wide range of town issues over the next two years.

At the top , Republican Jayme Stevenson, Democrat John Lundeen, and Ultra-Conservative Chris Noe .

Over the course of the campaign — including of — sharp differences have emerged between the three candidates, particularly over a Republican-led plan to give the a new home at  through a multi-stage "shuffle" of facilities.

in the race for the Board of Selectmen are Republicans Dave Campbell and Jerry Nielsen and Democrats David Bayne and Vickie Riccardo. Under Darien's election procedures, the two losing first selectman candidates will be added to the pool of selectman candidates, from which four highest vote-getters will win a spot on the board.

Nielsen, Bayne, Campbell, and Stevenson all serve on the outgoing board. Campbell, the incumbent first selectman, this cycle, clearing the way for Stevenson's bid. 

Riccardo, meanwhile, has served on the Planning and Zoning Commission since 2009, while Noe is a member of the Representative Town Meeting.

In the other contested town-wide race, four candidates — Democrats David W. Morgan and William Slinsky, Sr. and Republicans Louis J. Calastro and Joseph Tarnowski, Jr. — . Morgan, Slinsky, and Tarnowski are incumbents, while Calastro is looking to carry over his experience from the private security industry into a first term.

Tuesday's balloting also includes 42 candidates for the Representative Town Meeting spread across the town's six voting districts. All seats are uncontested.

Adding another twist to the day, opponents of the $6.979 million facilities shuffle plan — which the RTM by a 58-28 margin — are seeking to collect enough signatures by Friday . Petition organizers may be seen near polling stations today.

Below is a complete rundown of voting particulars and links to candidate information from , courtesy of the League of Women Voters of Darien. You'll also find links to past campaign coverage that may be of interest.

CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE

VOTING DETAILS

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Handicap voting machines are available this year at every poll location.

The moderator can explain the write-in candidate procedure.

If you are not sure of your voting location, you can check online here or call the Registrar of Voters at 203-656-7316.

Remember to bring proper identification to the polls. Acceptable identification includes a driver’s license, social security card or any other pre-printed form which shows name and local address, signature or photograph. A registered voter may also sign Form ED-681 ("Signatures of Electors who did not present ID") under penalty of false statement if inaccurate.

If your name does not appear on the list of registered voters, speak with the Assistant Registrar or moderator at your polling location and they will pursue the matter immediately.

You must be registered to vote prior to Election Day otherwise you cannot participate in today's election.

POLLING LOCATIONS

Voting District Location Address I 395 Mansfield Avenue II 2 Renshaw Road III 18 Hoyt Street IV 10 Nearwater Lane V High School Lane VI 7 Old Farm Road

CAMPAIGN COVERAGE

  • Plus 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here