Enfield Democrats' Overwhelming Win Delivers a Message
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| Councilmember-elect Linda Allegro, second from left, at the Democrat's watch party, shortly after learning that she won District 1, unseating Republican Mayor Ken Nelson. To the immediate left is former State Rep. Bill Kiner, Councilmember Bob Cressotti, and former State Rep. David Kiner. Taking the photo is Board of Education member-elect Roberta 'Bobbie' Kiner. |
Democrats received about 63% of the vote in Town Council races and also won the school board. While Republicans may take some solace in the fact that their defeat came amid a statewide Democratic wave, there is evidence that Enfield voters were responding to specific local frustrations with Republican governance.
That message may have been most evident in District 1. The Democrats considered this a Republican district, which was won by the Democratic challenger, political newcomer Linda Allegro.
Allegro, a retired educator and grandmother who ran on concerns about the school system, defeated Mayor Ken Nelson by more than 400 votes, a major upset. He has been on the council for years, although not consecutively, and has chaired the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Nelson didn't shy away from controversial positions, but the Democrats believe Republicans underestimated the impact of smaller but contentious issues on their fortunes.
A Disconnect
One example that may have resonated with voters was the Republican-led decision to cut funding for Enfield’s warming center. At issue was a modest $13,000 grant to Safe Harbor, a program operated by Enfield People for People in the basement of St. Patrick’s Church. The vote to deny continued support drew criticism from some residents, who saw it as lacking compassion.
For Democrats, the Republican stance on the warming center came to symbolize a deeper disconnect with the community. During her District 1 canvassing, Allegro said many residents brought up the issue on their own. “They were very concerned about the warming center,” she said.
Education support was the top issue with residents, she said.
"I was very concerned about all the programs that we lost in our school system -- that was number one," Allegro said on election night. "I have grandchildren in the school system. So those two factors really made me decide that I wanted to run," she said.
The Democrats gathered at Sarapes Restaurant to watch the results come in. Within an hour after polls closed at 8 p.m., they moved from quiet caution to jubilation. In contrast, the Republicans, at the Knights of Columbus, were somber.
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| Scene at Democrats election night HQ. To left is Councilmember elect Zach Zannoni. To the right, standing, is Ian Graves, the chair of the Enfield Democratic Town Committee. The screen above shows results in real-time, mid-way through the gathering of data. |
Shock at Republican Gathering
Deputy Mayor Marie Pyznar, a Republican who won reelection, said she couldn't immediately explain why the party lost, even accounting for national election-day trends.
"Our candidates worked really hard, and we ran a very positive campaign," Pyznar said. "There was no negativity. Nobody called anybody out. Nobody said anything terrible," she said.
"I guess people just are looking for something different -- I don't know," she said.
"I knew it was going to be a close race, I just didn't think it was going to be this. It's not close. This isn't close," Pyznar said.
Both sides said they worked hard to reach voters. Republicans had a cash advantage, but in a race that unfolded on social media and in door-to-door efforts, money wasn't a differentiator.
The Issues Piled Up
Apart from national issues, Councilmember Bob Cressotti, who won reelection, cited the importance of local issues for them, including programs for seniors, including the discontinued senior volunteer tax credit, the initial effort to eliminate funding for non-profit groups, and a need for more sports improvements.
"What's here in town for kids?" Cressotti said.
Councilmember and State Rep. John Santanella, who won re-election, said the voter pushback was over local and national issues.
"People are tired of this agenda, whether it's in Washington or whether it's here in Enfield, it is just not who we are," Santanella said.
At Democratic HQ
On election night, Ian Graves, the chair of the Enfield Democratic Town Committee, was orchestrating the effort to get the results posted and explaining what was missing or still needed to round out the picture.
Graves said the win was the result of sheer legwork.
"We knocked on 10,000 doors — direct voter contact works," Graves said.
He said the campaign was motivated by frustration with a council majority that "didn't listen to residents and didn't care about Enfield's future."
When results from District 1 showed Allegro defeating Nelson, Graves said he knew the Democrats had secured a supermajority.
Appendix
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| Conn. Secretary of State data |
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