Republican group announces opposition slate to be considered at caucus

(This story has been updated.)

BROOKFIELD -- A group of Republicans are criticizing the incumbent GOP town committee and plan to present a full slate of candidates to be elected to the seats for the new term.

Sarah Devine - a Board of Education member elected in 2023, who has been on the Brookfield Republican Town Committee since 2018 - noted in a news release that the Democrats virtually swept the municipal election in November.

She said in a phone interview with Patch.com that she began talking to other Republicans after the election about making changes in the Republican Town Committee. Devine said those discussions led to the formation of Republicans United For Brookfield.

Devine commented that the slate of 25 reuglar members and 10 alternates will be presented at the party caucus on Thursday, January 11, at 7 p.m. in Brookfield High School.

George Walker, a longtime member of the Brookfield Republican Town Committee and its Vacancy Committee, said in a phone interview with Patch.com that over the recent weeks the Vacancy Committee has interviewed a raft of candidates and will present its slate to the Republican Town Committee on Tuesday night, January 2, at a special meeting.

Walker said the slate includes a number of women, young people and candidates that have not previously served on the Republican Town Committee.

The Republicans United For Brookfield slate includes Matt Grimes, the former chairman of the Board of Education, who unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Republican First Selectman Tara Carr at the party caucus last July and in the September 12 primary.

Carr eventually lost by 407 votes in the November election to Democratic former First Selectman Steve Dunn.

The Republicans United For Brookfield slate also includes Harry Shaker, who was Grimes' running mate in 2023 for a seat on the Board of Selectmen. Shaker was initially elected to the Board of Education in 2003 and had been serving as a selectman since 2017, shortly after he had lost in his bid for first selectman.

"We have talked to many different Republicans," Shaker said in a phone interview with Patch.com. "There has been concern among them about the Republican Town Committee for some time. They want to move forward and have a caucus on January 11 that is well-run and well-organized, unlike the one last summer."

Devine expressed disappointment that the ballots distributed at the caucus last summer did not include the names of the members of the Team Brookfield slate that Grimes had organized. She also said there was no outreach from the Republican Town Committee to her and the other two members from Team Brookfield who were on the ballot in the general election.

Patch.com sent an e-mail message to Republican Town Committee Chairman George Blass seeking comment.

In an earlier phone interview with Patch.com, Walker said that, “Team Brookfield never stepped forward" to seek help from the Republican Town Committee after the primary.

Republicans United For Brookfield's slate consists of: BRUCE BENYSEK. RYAN BERGERON, DEBORAH CACACE, ANDY COREA, MICHAEL DEL VALLE, SARAH DEVINE, ALAN DONNELLY, DOUG ESNEAULT, DAVID FRANKEL, JOY GREENSTEIN, MATT GRIMES, TERRI HUDAK, TOM KELLER, NELSON MALWITZ, JOE MCNIFF, MATT MELILLO, STANLEY PARKER, PERRY RICE, CHRIS RINK, BRIANNA RUOCCO, ERIN SCALERA, ROBERT SCALERA, HARRY SHAKER,JASON SIVO, ROBIN WHEELER. ALTERNATE MEMBERS BRIAN CANNEY, LIAM ENEA, DAN MELILLO, BEVERLY PARKER, GLENN ROONEY, RYAN ROUDENIS, LIZ SHAKER, TOM SHEVLIN, ELIZA STANLEY and ALBERT TARRAB.

Devine said that Republicans United for Brookfield is committed, if needed, to wage a primary in March.

Walker said, "Some of the people on their slate are the same people who lost at the caucus and in the primary and helped the Democrats win the general election."

The Republicans had swept the 2021 election - the party's best performance since 2005. Carr garnered almost 52 percent of the vote to unseat Dunn. She is now serving in one of the other seats on the Board of Selectmen.

During the current Republican Town Committee's term, Brookfield Republican Stephen Harding captured the seat in the 30th state Senate District and former Republican First Selectman Marty Foncello won the state House seat in the 107th District, which Harding had vacated to run for the state Senate.

In the recent municipal election campaign, the Democratic Town Committee established a permanent headquarters, located on Federal Road, and was active in social media. It also distributed lawn signs stating "Republicans Supporting" Dunn and his running mate for the Board of Selectmen, Bob Belden.

The Democratic candidate for first selectman has prevailed in six of the last eight municipal elections.