All female Stonington Board of Selectmen makes history
Stonington — Democrat June Strunk and Republican Deborah Downie were elected to the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, meaning that, along with new First Selectwoman Danielle Chesebrough, they will form the first all-female Board of Selectmen in the town's long history.
The two top vote-getters between the two Board of Selectmen candidates and the losing first selectman candidate fill the two available seats on the three-person Board of Selectmen, along with the new first selectman.
Strunk, who is the current chairwoman of the Board of Finance, received 2,978 votes, and Downie, who is a Board of Education member, received 1,856, while unsuccessful Republican first selectman candidate John Prue garnered 1,632 votes.
Strunk, a financial adviser, has served on the Board of Finance, the Planning and Zoning Commission, the K-12 School Building Committee and its finance subcommittee and the Retirement Board. Downie, a licensed environmental professional, serves on the Inland Wetlands Commission, the K-12 School Building Committee, the Water Pollution Control Authority and the Stormwater Task Force.
The three candidates for the Board of Education, Democratic incumbents Farouk Rajab and Craig L. Esposito, along with Republican Heidi Simmons, ran unopposed and were elected. In the race for town treasurer, incumbent Democrat Sandy Grimes defeated Republican Dan Booker.
Democrats Deborah Norman and Bob Stachen, and Republican David L. Motherway Jr. were elected to the three seats on the Board of Finance. Republican incumbent Blunt White was the unsuccessful candidate in the four-way race.
Republican Gisela M. Harma ran unopposed for the Board of Assessment Appeals, while all eight constables ran unopposed and were elected.
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