With hopes to return incumbents and gain some new seats in town government, North Branford's GOP has endorsed a full slate of candidates for the November 7, 2017 municipal election.

At a rapid-fire July 19 caucus of the North Branford Republican Party, a voice vote of 25 electors registered as Republicans in the town's two voting districts unanimously endorsed the party's recommended list of six candidates for Town Council and three candidates for open seats on the Board of Education.

North Branford's 2017 GOP municipal election ticket will be topped by Town Council incumbent members Rose Marie Angeloni, Anthony Candelora, Michael Doody and Al Rose, together with new candidates Bob Viglione and Thomas Zampano.

Endorsed Republican Party candidates for the three open seats on North Branford's seven-member BOE are incumbents Colby O'Rourke and Elizabeth Siena as well as new candidate Shawna Papa-Holzer. BOE members serve four-year terms with staggered elections creating three open seats for each election cycle.  Members elected in the upcoming election cycle will serve from November 14, 2017 through November 9, 2021.

The town's GOP currently is in the minority on the nine-member Town Council, holding four of the nine council seats. The other five seats are held by Democrats. Town Council members also serve as the members of the town's Finance Board and as the members of the town's Water Pollution Control Authority. Following an election, Town Council members serve two-year terms. The upcoming election will seat nine council members to serve a term which begins November 14, 2017 and ends November 12, 2019.

All members of the Town Council and BOE are elected to serve without compensation. The Town of North Branford employs a Town Manager to report to the nine-member Town Council and manage the daily business of the town. North Branford's town charter calls for the Town Council candidate receiving the most overall votes during an election to be recognized as Mayor. In the current term, Doody serves as North Branford Mayor while Democrat Joseph Faughnan serves as Deputy Mayor.

North Branford's Democratic Party will caucus on Tuesday, July 25 to endorse its 2017 municipal elections slate.