Stonington — First Selectwoman Danielle Chesebrough, 39, an unaffiliated voter, announced Sunday she plans to seek a third term this fall.

“I think we’ve built a very strong team and we’ve weathered some storms together. Honestly, talking with staff, volunteers and nonprofit partners, it just became clear that I think what’s best for the community is having another two years to see this through and have some consistency there,” Chesebrough said Monday.

The two-term first selectwoman said she is running to continue the work she has started in order to see many of the town’s projects through and navigate the challenges the town is facing.

Bryan Bentz, owner of Bentz Engineering and a Board of Finance member, announced his candidacy for first selectman in early March and is seeking the Republican nomination.

Laura Graham, owner of the international sales and distribution management company, Drink with Food, announced her candidacy in early April and is seeking the Democratic nomination.

Chesebrough, who previously worked for the United Nations, gained the endorsement of the Democratic Town Committee in 2019 and went on to defeat former Republican Selectman John Prue in the November election. The victory made her the first woman to be elected to run the town.

She was reelected in 2021, when she ran unopposed with the endorsements of both the Democratic party and the Republican party.

Chesebrough said that though there is a political aspect to the position, it is a full-time role that requires day-to-day management and handling staffing and budgetary issues, among other demands.

“Having four years of experience in that now, I think, it is just a benefit to the community to have someone who can continue on that path,” she said.

Chesebrough said she wants to tackle infrastructure issues and see through major town projects in a third term, including the Mystic River Boathouse Park, which is awaiting final local planning and zoning approvals, and plans to create a $2.2 million public park on the “circus lot” property at the end of Noyes Avenue.

She said there are many infrastructure projects the town is working on, but there is much more to do.

She cited the Town Dock, which was awarded $900,000 in federal funds this year to begin maintenance and upgrades, safety improvements throughout town for cyclists and pedestrians through a complete streets policy and planning and expanding a bridge inventory program to other areas of infrastructure to allow better prioritization of necessary projects.

“We’ve never had a good handle on our bridges and what age they were, so we started a bridge program and we’re excited to keep looking at that,” she said. “We have a lot of investments that are going to need to be made, but we’re working with the team here to use that model for other areas of infrastructure.”

She said the partnerships and teamwork developed over her two terms as first selectman have been vital to the town’s success.

“We can’t do anything without our partners and our team, and I think it’s trying to inspire the team and motivate them and help people see the role they can play ― kind of bring out their strengths ― and that’s something I think I’ve done well and can keep doing.”

Chesebrough declined to say whether she would seek any party endorsements, but she said she would be giving a public, more detailed campaign announcement at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Portuguese Club on Main Street.