Government

Kevin Moynihan Wins New Canaan First Selectman Race by 33 Votes [UPDATED]

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Kevin Moynihan, a longtime resident and community volunteer who has served for four years on the Town Council, won election to New Canaan’s top municipal office on Tuesday by 33 votes. The Republican earned 2,684 votes in a widely anticipated first selectman race against Democrat Kit Devereaux, who received 2,651 votes, according to figures supplied by the New Canaan Registrars of Voters. The .6 percent margin of victory —a math-defying outcome, given the party makeup of New Canaan’s electorate—narrowly beats the state-mandated recount figure of .5 percent. Moynihan said he felt “wonderful” though “we expected to do better, quite honestly.” “I am surprised it was so close,” he told NewCanaanite.com.

Government

What Candidates for First Selectman Are Spending [TABLE]

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The campaign for the Republican candidate for New Canaan’s highest elected office has outspent its Democratic opponent by more than 15 times, according to the most recent data available through financial disclosure filings. First selectman candidate Kevin Moynihan’s campaign committee had garnered expenses totaling $29,966.29 through Sept. 30, according to his financial disclosure statement, compared to $1,920.13 for Kit Devereaux’s campaign. Moynihan’s campaign also had raised $35,980 in contributions from individuals through Sept. 30 through compared to $9,310 for Devereaux’s.

Government

Election 2017: At Selectman Debate, Kenin and Williams Say They Won’t Force A Primary

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Republican candidates for selectman Christa Kenin and Nick Williams said during a debate on Wednesday they would not force a primary in the fall municipal election should they fail to win the nomination during the Republican caucus on July 18. This is in contrast to two of the three Republican candidates for first selectman, Cristina Ross and Kevin Moynihan, who earlier in the evening indicated that it is possible they will choose to primary, should they fail to get on the party ticket. Both said it would depend on the outcome of the vote in the caucus. When asked if he would support his opponent in the fall election if he is not endorsed, Williams, a three-term incumbent, said during the Republican Town Committee debate, “Yes, I support Republicans.” “And although it’s not my race, I’m a little shocked to hear that at least two of the candidates running for first selectman saying they won’t respect this process and that they’ll primary,” he said during the debate, held at Town Hall and moderated by Michael Dinan of NewCanaanite.com and Greg Reilly of the New Canaan Advertiser.

Government

Republican Candidates for First Selectman: A Primary Is ‘Likely’ [CORRECTED]

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[Editor’s Note: A direct quote attributed to Cristina Ross regarding her position on a possible future primary has been updated for accuracy.]

Republican candidates for first selectman Cristina Ross and Kevin Moynihan said during a debate this week that that it is “likely” that there will be a primary in the coming fall election should they fail to win party backing at the July 18 caucus. “I think it’s very likely that it might come to a primary,” Ross, currently a member of the Town Council and also a member of the RTC, said during the organization’s second candidates’ debate, held Wednesday at Town Hall. “I will assess the number of [RTC] votes [following the caucus] and see where things stand [before making a decision].”

Moynihan, also a member of the Town Council and the RTC, said it would “really depend on what the vote [count] is.” He pointed out that while primaries for first selectman seats in neighboring towns including Darien and Greenwich “are quite common,” still “we’ve never had a primary in New Canaan.”

But this time around, “with three people in the race” for first selectman, “it increases the likelihood of a primary,” Moynihan said during the debate, co-moderated by Michael Dinan of NewCanaanite.com and Greg Reilly of the New Canaan Advertiser. “I think it’s very likely [that there will be a primary],” he added. Ross and Moynihan are challenging three-term incumbent First Selectman Rob Mallozzi.

Government

Change Versus Experience: Kenin Challenges Williams In RTC Debate

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GOP Board of Selectman candidate Christa Kenin promised change while incumbent Selectman Nick Williams emphasized his experience during the first of two Republican Town Committee debates held at Town Hall on Tuesday. A former corporate attorney who has been a member of the Town Council for two years, Kenin is seeking a Republican seat on the Board of Selectmen in the upcoming local election—but first seeks to win the party nod in upcoming caucus on July 18. Williams, a 28-year resident, is a three-term incumbent on the board who has previously served as chairman of the Board of Education and has been a volunteer with various town groups. He seeks a fourth term. During her opening remarks, Kenin expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of progress in town and blamed the current administration.