New Canaan’s incumbent first selectman did not file papers to force a primary in September, town officials have confirmed.
First Selectman Kevin Moynihan, who was soundly defeated by Republican challenger Dionna Carlson at the GOP Caucus last month, had until 4 p.m. Thursday to file with the town clerk.
Yet, as Town Clerk Claudia Weber confirmed in an email to NewCanaanite.com, no runner-up candidates filed an application.
“No one filed a petition for the First Selectman race, and New Canaan will not be having a Primary this year,” Weber said.
That means Carlson will face off against Democrat Amy Murphy Carroll for New Canaan’s top job in the Nov. 7 election.
It also means that Moynihan’s six-year tenure is coming to a close. He began his political career in New Canaan in 2013 after election to the 12-member Town Council. Moynihan narrowly won party backing at the GOP Caucus in 2017, then defeated Democrat Kit Devereaux by just 33 votes in the general election that year. In 2019, he handily won re-election over challenger Craig Donovan, and was unopposed in 2021.
At the GOP Caucus, voters also backed Board of Ed candidates Matthew Campbell, Lara Kelly and Matt Wexler. They’ll face off against unaffiliated candidate Giacomo Landi and two Democrat-nominated candidates for a four-year term on the school board —Brendan Hayes, and Lauren Connolly Nussbaum. Democrat Josh Kaye is challenging incumbent Republican Hugo Alves for a two-year seat. There are no contested races for the Town Council this year.