Preston – Petitioning candidate for first selectman Vincent Eleazer is officially a candidate on the November ballot after a petition with 16 signatures of Preston registered voters was certified by the town clerk’s office.

Eleazer sought the Democratic Town Committee nomination July 22 to challenge 18-year Republican First Selectman Robert Congdon, but was not nominated after officials realized he was not a registered Democrat. The DTC had no other candidate to challenge Congdon.

Eleazer needed 12 signatures to qualify as a petitioning candidate.

Eleazer, 47, has lived in Preston 27 years and three of his six children are currently in the town school system. Eleazer is a member of the Mashantucket Pequot tribe and said he works economic development for the tribe.