East Lyme ― Two members of the Board of Selectmen have signaled their intent to run for the spot held by outgoing First Selectman Kevin Seery.

The stage is set for Republican Anne Santoro, the deputy first selectman since 2021, to run against three-term Democrat Dan Cunningham in the November election. But their candidacies won’t be official until they are endorsed by their respective parties in caucuses to be held over the next week.

Seery announced he would not seek reelection in April. He cited long hours that kept him away from his family, especially his 3-year-old grandson.

Santoro, an attorney not currently in practice, announced her intent Monday from the gazebo at Liberty Green across from the Niantic Bay. She served four years on the Board of Finance before becoming a selectman.

Public safety topped Santoro’s list of priorities. She called out the “exemplary work” done by the town’s dispatchers, police and animal control officers, firefighters and emergency management personnel to keep residents and visitors safe.

“We must continue to meet evolving standards and needs, and enhance operations where possible,” she said.

She said it remains the town’s biggest challenge to provide important services – including a quality education – without overburdening the taxpayer. She cited inflation and the lingering effects of the pandemic as the reasons it’s “more important than ever to find additional sources of revenue and efficiencies of operation” on the education and general government sides of the budget.

Republicans have held the first selectman’s seat since 2007.

Democratic Town Committee Chairman Jason Deeble was making balloon animals at the group’s tent on Main Street during the Celebrate East Lyme festival Saturday when he confirmed Cunningham’s intent to run.

Cunningham Monday said he asked for the town committee’s nomination. He has been an attorney in town since 1996.

He credited his three terms as a selectman with giving him “the insight to see where problems are coming around the corner a little bit, and to recognize how we can mitigate some of the concerns.”

He cited issues large and small ranging from a lack of affordable housing, to water resources under threat, to too much traffic and not enough parking.

He said development in town should acknowledge the necessity of change while working to maintain the town’s character.

“You can’t put the brakes on development entirely, but you can shape it,” he said.

One way to shape that development is to enhance coordination between the commissions charged with setting the town’s overall development plan and regulating how land is used, according to Cunningham.

The Niantic-based lawyer said he would keep his practice “idling” if elected. That means making the first selectman position his primary focus while keeping his license and insurance coverage active for when it’s time to go back.

Cunningham received a law degree from Western New England College after a brief career at Pratt & Whitney, where he used his undergraduate degree in finance from the University of Connecticut.

He is married with four children.

Santoro is a graduate of Stanford University in California and University of Connecticut School of Law. She was an attorney at the Smithsonian Institution’s contracting and procurement office as well as for the municipalities of Milford and Greenwich. She is not currently practicing law.

She is married with two children.

Both candidates emphasized the importance of getting the public involved in local government.

Santoro said everyone’s voice matters.

“Public hearings and other communication with elected officials help us to determine facts and what matters most, and allow us to better resolve issues or determine policy,” she said.

Cunningham described transparency as crucial. He credited Seery with taking care to be as transparent as possible, while adding there’s more that can be done to make sure the public knows what town officials are discussing and acting on.

“We live in a world of social media and I think we can use that effectively to make people aware of what’s coming up,” he said, especially as it relates to the kind of business and housing projects that people want to know about.

The Republican slate for the five-member Board of Selectmen consists of Selectwoman Rose Ann Hardy, Board of Education member Candice Carlson and Harbor Management/Shellfish Commission member Don MacKenzie.

Deeble, who serves on the Planning Commission, said he will be running for the Board of Selectman on the Democratic slate along with Selectwoman Ann Cicchiello and Tony Attanasio, the regional representative to the Connecticut Democratic Party.

The Democrat caucus will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday while Republicans will hold their caucus at 7 p.m. Monday, July 24. Both caucuses will be at the East Lyme Senior Center, 41 Society Road.

e.regan@theday.com