On Tuesday, Sept. 10, Republican voters will have to choose between the Republican Town Committee (RTC) endorsed candidate, town council representative for District 4 Steven “Big Steve” Tracey, and Sal Maltese, who recently obtained 258 signatures from town Republicans to force a primary.

Tracey said that the most important aspects of his platform are “taxes, education, and infrastructure.”

Maltese said his priorities as mayor would be to improve town infrastructure including road maintenance and athletic fields.

“As your next mayor, I will expand on [Mayor Joseph Maturo’s] surplus and rainy day fund to all the well-deserved voters in the town for…infrastructure and public safety,” Maltese said.

Both candidates are concerned with improving the education system and providing more oversight to the Board of Education (BOE).

“We don’t have the jurisdiction over [the BOE] once we give them their money, but I would like to oversee a little bit,” Maltese said. “I don’t want to be involved with them, but I can help them.”

“When the mayor comes to the meetings and gets more involved, I believe I’ll have more impact on” the BOE, Tracey said.

As a four-year member of the Board of Finance and a business owner, Maltese said his business record is his strongest qualification.

“My financial background is key to this race,” he said.

Tracey, who operates DiAdamo & Tracey Bail Bonds in town, said that his financial background comes from starting and growing three businesses.

“I know what it’s like not to have money. I know what it’s like to have money. I know what it’s like to start from nothing,” Tracey said. “I know what we can afford.”

Maltese has challenged Tracey to a debate set for Wednesday, Aug. 28 in the East Haven Senior Center. Maltese said only town Republicans would be allowed to attend and no RTC member would be allowed to ask a question.

“I have the right to challenge,” Maltese said.

Maltese said that the Tracey campaign had declined the debate through a communication from RTC Chairman Bob Parente as of Aug. 19, but that he would attend the event to answer questions even without his opponent.

Tracey said he had not heard of the debate challenge until after his campaign declined.

“Nobody ever said anything to me about that,” he said. “Maltese didn’t get one vote at the RTC convention. Who is he to call up the papers and say ‘I’m having a debate’?”

Tracey said he did not decline the invitation and left the possibility of a debate on the table.

“There’s a lot of things we have to figure out for a debate,” Tracey said. “It’s not just [Maltese’s] way. It’s what we decide, too.”

Tracey said he was not avoiding sharing his views.

“I’m knocking on Republicans’ doors every day. That’s how I’m getting my message across,” Tracey said. “The Republican party and I are working hard and that’s what we should be doing. Working hard, not fighting hard.”

On Sept. 10, polls will be open to all registered Republican voters from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. in all the usual polling places.

The winner of the Republican primary will go on to challenge Joe Carfora, the Town Council representative for District 3 who was endorsed by the Democratic Town Committee, in addition to Oni Sioson, who successfully petitioned to be added to the ballot ahead of the Sept. 4 deadline for unaffiliated candidates.

Joseph Maturo, Jr., who left open the possibility of an independent campaign in a letter to the RTC in June, has not entered the field. Unaffiliated candidates seeking to campaign as write-in candidates have until Tuesday, Oct. 27 to file with the Secretary of the State’s Office.

Polling places:

Dist. 1 Tuttle School, 108 Prospect Road

Dist. 1S East Farm Village,

55/65 Messina Drive

Dist. 2 Momauguin School,

93 Cosey Beach Road

Dist. 3/3S Deer Run School, Route 80

District 4 Overbrook School,

54 Gerrish Avenue

Dist. 5 Hays School, 1 Maple Street

District 5S Woodview,

1270 North High Street