Salem — First Selectman Kevin Lyden has to change his campaign strategy now that he has a challenger for his seat.

"I have to make signs again," he said, "and I've got a mailer that's going out because I want people to understand the sorts of things we've been doing."

The first selectman's seat and two board seats are up for election on Nov. 3.

Lyden, who is unaffiliated, is running for a fourth term as first selectman and is running opposed for the first time after being endorsed by both the Republican and Democratic town committees in the previous three elections.

Republican Town Committee Chairman Ed Chmielewski, who currently serves as a selectman, also is running for the first selectman position.

Salem Republican Registrar of Voters Georgia Pech said if Lyden wins the first selectman seat, Chmielewski will retain his selectman seat until it is up for re-election in 2017.

If Chmielewski wins, the Board of Selectmen will select someone to serve a two-year term to fill his selectman vacancy.

A debate between the two first selectman candidates was scheduled for Oct. 8 but was cancelled because Chmielewski said he was unable to attend due to a commitment out of town.

Both first selectman candidates agreed that getting more businesses into Salem will be a top priority in the coming term. Chmielewski said he wants to work with the Economic Development Commission to combat the challenging economic times that have led to people having to work more for less money.

The two board seats up for election currently are held by Elbert Burr and Lew Buckley, who are not seeking re-election.

Residents can vote for any two of the four candidates running for the Board of Selectmen.

The Democrats endorsed Hugh McKenney and Sue Spang, and the Republicans endorsed David Kennedy and Stuart Gadbois for the positions.

One common concern among the candidates is the changing demographics of Salem.

Lyden said the overall population is expected to increase slightly, but the average age of residents is increasing and families are having fewer children.

The town will need to plan its spending accordingly in order to best serve the community, he said.

McKenney said senior housing likely will be addressed in the coming term, and Gadbois said the town will have to find a way to maintain Salem School's high quality of education while managing costs as enrollment decreases.

Spang said the changing demographics also impact participation in sports and the volunteer forces for the fire department and town boards and commissions.

Kennedy said it will be important to keep taxes low without threatening current services in order to keep Salem an attractive place for people to both live and retire.

a.hutchinson@theday.com

Twitter: @ahutch411