Politics & Government
It is more than just the Democratic base
Brookfield party chairman Shannon Riley says local Democrats actively recruit the biggest bloc- unaffiliated voters
By Scott Benjamin
BROOKFIELD – A political party cannot win elections by embracing just the MAGA Republicans who think that Donald Trump is the brainiest executive this side of Brian Cashman or, at the other side of the political continent, just the college-educated Democratic elites who insist that PEZ could make a bundle of money by introducing an Elizabeth Warren dispenser.
Even though some swing voters are like trapeze artists hanging high under the circus tent, flying to another horizontal bar attached to a rope, you aim to try to catch them because they have untapped potential.
Find out what's happening in Brookfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Brookfield Democratic Town Committee Chairman Shannon Riley says the local party succeeds by interacting with the 40 percent of the voters who are unaffiliated - the largest bloc in town.
“We want to connect with those voters and find out what they’re concerned about,” she explained in an interview with Patch.com.
Find out what's happening in Brookfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“The last election showed that we connected, and we’re not here for partisanship,” added Riley, who was elected to the Board of Assessment Appeals.
“We’re here for Brookfield. Across the board we won, and we cannot do that with just Democrats,” she remarked.
Democrat Steve Dunn, who had been first selectman for three terms before being defeated in 2021, reversed the results in 2023 by outpolling Republican incumbent Tara Carr. The Democrats have taken the town’s top elected office in six of the last eight municipal elections. Before the current spurt, their last victory had been in 1985.
Brookfield has 5,419 unaffiliated voters, compared to 3,912 Republicans and 3,234 Democrats, with 212 voters affiliated with minor parties, as of July 2, according to Democratic Registrar of Voters Dotti Dori.
Aaron Zimmer preceded Riley as the Brookfield Democratic Town Committee chairman and since March has been campaigning for the seat in the 107th state House District.
He said that, generally speaking, the unaffiliated voters have the same concerns as the registered Republicans and Democrats. He added that in his current campaign the top topic “regardless of affiliation is taxes.”
“Sometimes [the unaffiliated voters] are even more aware of the issues because they are not voting just the party-line, they are voting for the person who is best-suited for the job,” Zimmer explained in a phone interview with Patch.com.
Zimmer has been credited by Dunn and other local Democrats with revitalizing the party during his 20 months as chairman.
Zimmer, who moved to Brookfield from New York City three years ago, raised money to establish a permanent headquarters on Federal Road, a move that has received praise from local Democrats.
At the caucus to nominate the municipal slate last July, dozens of members were shoe-horned into the small retail space, which formerly housed the Brookfield Chamber of Commerce office. Zimmer has indicated that instead of holding the caucus at a local school he wanted the caucus-goers to see that the party had a headquarters where they could get involved.
“That made all the difference,” Riley said of having the permanent headquarters. “We had a central location. People were more interested in being involved.”
She remarked, “The enthusiasm has exceeded what was expected,” regarding the Democrats’ across-the-board victory last November.
Riley said the party has been able to find donors to pay for the monthly rent and utilities and she is confident, for example, that the headquarters will still be in operation a year from now and beyond.
One wall is decorated with lawn signs for such Democratic neon names as Ned Lamont, Chris Murphy and Jahana Hayes.
“By being here and interacting with each other, people want to be involved,” Riley commented.
In a voice-mail message, Dunn said that Riley was the “ideal’ choice to succeed Zimmer.
Riley said she was already a member of the municipal Arts Commission when in 2016 she sought a seat on the Democratic Town Committee.
She had enjoyed her government and environmental courses as an undergraduate at the College of New Rochelle and was, in part, motivated to join the local Democratic panel because of Donald Trump’s bid for the White House.
Riley said that, among other things, she has been appalled by Trump’s personal behavior toward women. Including the comments that were published by The Washington Post in October 2016 from the taped 2005 lewd conversation between Trump and Access Hollywood host Billy Bush.
She said, “It activated a lot of women who don’t excuse that behavior. We don’t want those people making decisions for us. We want people who respect us. They shouldn’t talk about us as objects. That shouldn’t be tolerated.”
Riley complained that Trump’s appointment of conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Comey Barrett led to the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson decision that restricted abortion access.
“They took away choice for 50 percent of the population,” she declared.
Regarding municipal issues, Riley said she was pleased that after speaking with Dunn about the proposed hazards of the expansion of the Iroquois compressor station on High Meadow Road, just 1,900 feet from Whisconier Middle School, that in May the Board of Selectmen sent a letter to Gov. Ned Lamont (D-Greenwich) opposing the expansion.
She said that, “[Dunn initially] didn’t think that Brookfield cared if it had this expansion.”
“I have concerns as a mother,” she said. “This is not what Brookfield wants.”
However, when the initial project was approved about 17 years ago by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, then-Republican First Selectman Jerry Murphy decided to not appeal the decision, based on what he said was advice that he had received from the two town counsels – Fran Collins and Tom Beecher. Murphy said he even received a phone call at home from then-state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal saying that he had had better cases than this that he had not sought to appeal.
Riley said, “This should not go unchallenged.”
Riley grew up in Brewster, N.Y. and New Fairfield. She has been teaching Art at Brewster High School since 2005. Her husband, Sean, is an installation inspector for defense contractor Lockheed Martin at Igor Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford. They have four sons, ranging in age from five to 14.
She said that she is pleased that pieces are being added to the 198-acre Brookfield Town Center central business district near the Four Corners intersection on Federal Road.
Housing, such as Federal Road Apartments and Marin Plaza are about to open. Emporium Plaza is slated to begin operations later this summer. It will feature a supermarket, with other retail spaces and apartments.
Riley said the added shopping will offer an option for residents who don’t want to travel through the southern corridor of Federal Road where there are a reported 65,000 vehicle trips per day. She commented that Brookfield Town Center already has “some amazing restaurants.”
The concept for a New England-style central business district was developed in the late 1980s by Democratic former First Selectman Ken Keller, The possibility for the business district became a reality in 2009 when the 2.1-mile Route 7 bypass opened, which relieved much of the traffic congestion near the Four Corners.
Riley has helped expand the Democratic Town Committee’s outreach over the last three years by chairing a reading group. The books related to government issues and the participants, which usually numbered about 10 per month, held discussions at the Brookfield Library.
Through the years, various Republican and Democratic town committee chairmen have said the position can be time-consuming.
“It is a lot of behind the scenes where you are connecting or being asked to do certain things,” Riley said.
Regarding recruiting candidates to run for municipal office, Zimmer commented, “It is not as though there is an endless pool of willing participants. For example, it is hard to find the right person to run [for first selectman], because no one is willing to put their career in jeopardy. In many cases it means taking a smaller salary.”
Riley said that in her new role she has been able to draw upon her career as an educator.
“It teaches you to manage different personalities,” said Riley. “It teaches you how to research.”
On the upcoming election, she said that she is “enthusiastic” that Zimmer will become the first Democrat to capture the 107th state House District since 1974.
Riley noted that he has been canvassing since April and has a team of volunteers.
“He’s out there knocking on doors,” she commented. “He’s meeting people where they are.”
Zimmer faces first-term Republican state Rep. Marty Foncello of Brookfield, who was the town’s first selectman from 1999 to 2003. The district includes all of Brookfield, the Stony Hill section of Bethel and the northern portion of Newtown.
Regarding the campaign in the Fifth Congressional District, Riley said she becomes “energized” when she interacts with U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-5) of Wolcott, who is seeking a fourth term in one of the nation’s most competitive races. Hayes is again opposed by Republican former state Sen. George Logan. Hayes prevailed by less than 2,000 votes when they faced off two years ago.
“I think that it will be a tight race,” said Riley.
She criticized Logan because he moved two years ago from Ansonia, which is in the Third District, to Meriden, which sits in the Fifth District.
“He just moved to the district to be a challenger.,” Riley remarked.
However, they say he performs an electrifying version of Jimi Hendrix with his tribute band.
“I’m still not going to vote for him,” Riley said with a laugh.
Resources:
Interview with Shannon Riley, Patch.com, on Sunday, June 30, 2024.
Phone interview with Aaron Zimmer, Patch.com, on Friday, July 5, 2024.
Voice-mail message from Steve Dunn, Patch.com, on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.
E-mail message from Democratic Registrar of Voters Dotti Dori, Patch.com, Tuesday, July 2, 2024.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump_Access_Hollywood_tape.
https://patch.com/connecticut/brookfield/zimmer-leaps-race-107th-district-state-house-seat
https://patch.com/connecticut/brookfield/democrats-come-long-way-one-year
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dobbs_v._Jackson_Women%27s_Health_Organization
https://patch.com/connecticut/brookfield/hayes-says-growing-waterbury-effects-way-i-legislate
