Winsted votes: Democrats take control

WINSTED — After nearly two decades out of power, including the past two years under a Republican supermajority, Winchester Democrats turned the tables in Tuesday’s election, winning four seats on the town’s seven-seat governing board. Approximately 2,000 people made it out to the polls.

Two-term Selectman Candy Perez was the top vote-getter among selectman candidates, taking 1,211 votes. Next in line for the Democrats was former Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman George Closson, with 1,034; Selectman Michael Renzullo, with 913; and former Recreation Board member Lisa Smith, with 869.

Republicans took three spots on the board, returning former Mayor Kenneth Fracasso, with 1,202 votes, along with newcomer Glenn Albanesius (977) and Board of Education member Karen Beadle (940).

On Wednesday morning, the new board unanimously elected Perez as the town’s new mayor/first selectman, along with Closson as the town’s second selectman. The mayoral position holds no special power, other than to chair and set the agenda for meetings.

Perez said the new board will meet Monday, Nov. 9, 7 p.m., to discuss goals and ideas on how to move the town forward. No action will be taken at the meeting. “It’s just for us to be able to get started working together as a cohesive unit,� she said.

An apparently nervous Perez was cautiously optimistic Tuesday night as the results came in and it appeared Lisa Smith’s 869 votes might be eclipsed by Republican Mary Shea, who ended up with 835. “As long as this holds, it’s huge,� Perez said. “It means we can move forward on the agenda that we’ve been positively campaigning on.�

Perez added that she expects to work closely with Republicans during the next two years and to build consensus. “Politics should stop mattering at about 10:05 Wednesday morning, after we elect the new mayor and second selectman.�

A visibly pleased Closson added Tuesday that he was happy to get the seat on the Board of Selectmen, even though he was hoping to be the top vote earner. “You always hope to be the top vote-getter,� he said. “But Candy is a hard worker, and she has a lot of respect in the community.�

Closson said an ongoing lawsuit he has against the Board of Selectmen may become null and void if the new board votes to rescind an action of the last board, which was to remove him as Planning and Zoning Commission chairman. He also said he plans to remain chairman of the commission’s subcommittee for the Plan of Conservation and Development, a draft of which he said “is nearing completion.�

On Wednesday, Closson said, “Everything in the past is the past,� and that he is looking forward to helping build a “team effort� to improve the town.

For the Board of Education, the town overwhelmingly chose Democrat Kathleen O’Brien, who was cross-endorsed by the Republicans. O’Brien earned an impressive 1,410 votes — more from Republicans (785) than from Democrats (625) —  while voters rejected current Chairman Rose Molinelli, who ran unaffiliated and took only 504 votes. Democrat John Rogers, a newcomer, got on the board with 799 votes, along with unaffiliated incumbents Dr. Richard Dutton (887) and Christine Royer (725).

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