Finance Only Competitive Race in Guilford Elections
The ballot of the Guilford municipal elections on Nov. 3 will feature 10 candidates—seven of them incumbents—and on Nov. 4, nine of them will have won election. Only one 2015 race, for the Board of Finance, will see a seat challenged.
The Board of Education and Board of Assessment Appeals are also on the ballot; both boards have the same number of candidates as open positions.
For the Board of Finance, the four candidates pursuing three open seats include Democratic incumbents Chairman Matthew T. Hoey III and Michael Ayles and Republican incumbent Jonathan Trotta and newcomer Kenneth MacKenzie. The Board of Finance currently has a four to three Democratic majority.
For the Board of Education, all candidates will win a seat. The Democratic candidates are incumbents Chair William M. Bloss and Kathleen Balestracci. Democrat Christine Cohen will also gain a position on the board, replacing long-serving Democrat Barbara Dudley, who will not see re-election. The Republican candidate is incumbent Gary Kaisen.
For the Board of Assessment Appeals, both candidates will win a seat. The Democratic candidate is Dennis Dostert (incumbent Patrick Pascale will not seek re-election) and the Republican candidate is incumbent Amanda Popplewell.
All candidate names were filed in the Town Clerk’s Office before the July 29 deadline, according to Town Clerk Anna Dwyer. No other offices will be on the ballot this fall as the office of first selectman and the Board of Selectmen are now four-year terms.
“Those offices will be on the ballot in 2017,” said Dwyer.