Brenda Kupchick, a Republican state representative, unseated former First Selectman Democrat Mike Tetreau on Nov. 5 in a historic upset. Kupchick’s running mate, Tom Flynn, also narrowly defeated Tetreau’s running mate Nancy Lefkowitz. Though Lefkowitz secured a seat on the Board of Selectmen, Republicans now hold a majority on the board for the first time in years, a monumental win for the Fairfield Republican Party.
As someone who has worked on the Republican campaign in Fairfield since late September, I can confidently proclaim that Brenda Kupchick’s decisive win was a victory for the town of Fairfield. Fairfield is also very lucky to have elected Tom Flynn, a fiscally responsible citizen who is dedicated to the Fairfield community. I have similar feelings for the rest of the Republican candidates who worked tirelessly for months to affect change in Fairfield, a town that has seen serious issues arise under Democratic leadership since 2011.
In this year’s race, Republicans seized on the mismanagement of the town’s fill pile, which resulted in the distribution of contaminated soil to parks, fields and playgrounds around Fairfield. Brenda Kupchick courageously called out Mike Tetreau for his lack of oversight of the Fairfield Public Works Department which allowed the crisis to escalate. The situation led to the arrests of two town employees and Julian Enterprise’s co-owner, according to the Fairfield Citizen. To say the least, mismanagement of the fill pile was irresponsible, putting the health of Fairfield citizens in danger. The town is set to spend millions in the process of cleaning up the contaminated areas. But I firmly believe that this process will be more efficient under the leadership of Brenda Kupchick and Tom Flynn.
Kupchick also brought attention to Tetreau’s failure to respond to the concerns of town residents and was criticized for his use of a communications consultant, as stated by the Fairfield Citizen. Tetreau allegedly used a town consultant to discuss political strategy, which is a misuse of taxpayer funds, as reported by Patch.
Though Republicans were unable to overtake the Democratic majority in the Representative Town Meeting, they made slight gains since the last election, as confirmed by Fairfield Departments and Services. Republicans also have majorities on the Board of Finance and the Constable.
One thing was clear in this year’s local elections for Fairfield: voters were eager for change, so much so that they felt empowered to vote a Democratic incumbent out of office. I am confident that these newly elected politicians will tackle the pressing issues that are facing our community here in Fairfield.
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