Democrats lose their grip on New London City Council

New London - For the first time in nearly 20 years, Democrats have lost control of the seven-member City Council, with Republicans winning three seats and the Green Party one.

Republican incumbents Rob Pero and Adam Sprecace were the highest vote-getters with 2,207 and 2,067 votes, respectively. John Russell, a Green Party candidate who was cross- endorsed by the Republicans, came in third with 1,638 votes. Republican Martin T. Olsen, who served on the council from 1987 to 1991 and returned to politics this year, received 1,390 votes, winning the seventh seat.

Democrats Wade Hyslop and Michael Buscetto were re-elected to second terms, coming in fifth and sixth, along with Michael Passero, who was seeking his first term. Passero earned 1,618 votes, making him the fourth-highest vote-getter.

Voter turnout was estimated at 27 percent, compared with 39.1 percent in the last municipal election two years ago. There are 11,839 registered voters in the city.

In 2007, in his first bid for office, Buscetto earned the most votes in each of the city's seven districts with 2,492. This year, with the voting districts consolidated to three, he came in sixth with 1,316 votes.

"It's a sea of change for New London,'' said GOP committee chairman William Vogel. "I think we had good candidates who worked hard. ... The Democrats had a major split and that had to help us. I think that was worth one seat."

Early in the campaign Hyslop and Buscetto butted heads when Buscetto locked Hyslop out of Democratic headquarters, which Buscetto was paying for, saying Hyslop was accusing him and his family of being racist. Hyslop denied the charge and opened his own headquarters.

Vogel said in campaigning door-to-door, residents repeatedly said they were upset at the Democratic in-fighting.

"People said they were disgusted with the locking out of Hyslop,'' he said.

At Republican headquarters Sprecace and Pero took congratulatory phone calls from Hyslop and Councilor Kevin Cavanagh, who did not seek re-election.

"I think this (vote) talks to how we conducted ourselves through the course of our term,'' Pero said. "We are willing to work with whoever is elected for the betterment of all New London."

Sprecace said the vote indicates to him that people want a change and they want a council that will work together.

"It's three Republicans, three Democrats and one Republican cross-endorsed Green candidate,'' he said. "It's good to have a split. It means we have to work together."

The Democrats have had a majority on the council since 1991. Republican Gregory P. Massad, the city's mayor in 1989, said Tuesday's results were not so surprising.

"It happens about every 20 years, or so," he said. "Before that, I think it was 18 years."

He said he told Pero last week that he would be the next mayor.

At Democratic headquarters, members of the town committee were quiet as the districts reported by cell phone shortly after the polls closed at 8 p.m. "It doesn't look good,'' they whispered as the first votes came in.

Margaret Curtin, who was seeking an eighth term, and John Maynard, who was seeking a second term, were not re-elected.

"I'm free at last,'' Curtin said. "I've been doing this for 16 years, of course I'm disappointed. Now I can travel. I wish the new council well.''

Just before the official numbers were announced Buscetto said if he were re-elected it would be a "thing of beauty for what I went through for the past two years.''

He said he's been incorrectly portrayed as a racist and a bully.

"It was a successful smear campaign,'' he said, pointing to derogatory articles in the The Day and on Republican cable access television shows.

"The language that was used fueled a lot of things,'' Buscetto said. He added that he will continue to work on behalf of all the people of New London "until they don't want me to."

Hyslop, who joined fellow Democrats at a neutral headquarters on Bank Street, said residents want unity.

"I think voters don't want a split in New London,'' he said. "They want to see a multi-cultural New London, not one that is separate but equal."

Day staff writer Chuck Potter contributed to this report.