Groton Democrats endorse full slate of candidates for town election
Groton — Groton Democrats endorsed a full slate of candidates Wednesday to run in the town election in November, and have a waiting list of people seeking seats on Representative Town Meeting, the town party chairman said.
Democratic Town Committee Chairman Conrad Heede said he can't recall ever having more people seek seats on the RTM than available spots. He attributed the interest to the town debate over education cuts and the broader political climate.
"It's the national, state and the local climate and I think it's time for a change," said Heede, also a Groton City Councilor. The Democrats compiled the party's slate on Wednesday.
Republicans also held their meeting to discuss endorsements Wednesday, but their list of candidates was not immediately available. The slate is not official until it's submitted to the town clerk by 4 p.m. on July 26.
Nine seats on the Town Council, four seats on the Board of Education, 41 seats on the RTM and the town clerk's position are up for election this year.
For Town Council, Democrats endorsed Richard Moravsik, the town councilor who took over after state Rep. Joseph de la Cruz was elected to the legislature; Patrice Granatosky, a former town councilor; Juliette Parker, a member of the RTM; Rachael Franco, a resident of Mystic and business manager at Norwich Family Dental Associates; David Atwater, a former selectman in Maine who moved to Groton; Lian Obrey, an RTM member; Rita Schmidt, a former town councilor; Bill Billing, who is a former Board of Education member, and Heede.
For Board of Education, Democrats endorsed incumbent board members Lee White and Rosemary Robertson, former Town Councilor Bob Frink and Jane Giulini, a former principal of Pawcatuck Middle School.
Town Clerk Betsy Moukawsher was endorsed for re-election.
For RTM, the Democrats endorsed Roscoe Merritt, Cindy Barry, Jordan Brayman, Sheila Perry and Mallory Doyle in District 1; Portia Bordelon, Syma Ebbin and Juliette Parker in District 2; Alicia Bauer, Brandon Marley, Autumn Hanscom and Reginald Stanford in District 3; Shawn Powers, Patricia Wagner, Douglas R. Marshall, Lian Obrey and Judith Strode in District 4; Gary Welles, Richard Pasqualini, Juan Melendez and Michael Whitney in District 5; Kate Richards, Elaine Cole, James Gustavson, Doug Monaghan and Rachael Franco in District 6, and Clarence Casper, Nancy Mello-Miller, Bobbi Jo Cini and Kathleen Ruby in District 7.
Interested candidates exceed seats for the RTM in Districts 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, Heede said. The party also was able to maintain candidates for positions even if people dropped out or changed plans, he said.
"Usually, you're begging anybody to run for the seat," he said.
In April, the Groton Town Council voted to cut $5.2 million from the Board of Education's budget request for the current fiscal year to deal with a potentially devastating loss in state aid. Councilors later restored some of the funding, but not before a public uproar. Groton ultimately closed Pleasant Valley Elementary School to deal with the cuts.
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