League Of Women Voters Of Darien In Flux After Leadership Resigns

DARIEN, CT — In the wake of the canceled candidate forum originally scheduled for Oct. 7, the executive committee of the League of Women Voters of Darien has resigned, effective immediately.

In a joint letter sent to league members and posted online Wednesday, the executive committee called it a "difficult decision" to resign from leadership positions.

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The letter was signed by Co-President Lori Olson; Co-President Tiffany O'Connor; Treasurer Stephanie Maher; Secretary Vicki Baldwin; and Membership Chair Amy Zerbe.

"We have been proud to serve the Darien community and to support the League's longstanding mission of helping voters become informed and engaged participants in our democracy. Our work has always been carried out by volunteers who care deeply about this community and who have given generously of their time and energy," the letter said.

"Public commentary about the Darien League and its volunteer leadership has increasingly become part of the conversation surrounding the upcoming election. We do not want the League to become a distraction from the election itself.

"After considerable discussion, we have concluded that the best way to remove ourselves from that conversation is to step aside from our leadership roles, effective today."

The Darien League will now be on a "formal pause" with the hope that community members will step up to volunteer.

"We leave proud of the work we have done, appreciative of the people with whom we have served, and deeply committed to the importance of an informed and engaged community," the letter added.

The Darien League announced last week it was canceling a forum for candidates in contested races due to "a combination of candidate scheduling conflicts, volunteer needs, and other issues."

Leagues have long held forums only for contested races.

O'Connor told Patch earlier this week LWV Darien had confirmation that candidates from both parties had planned to attend, and candidates from both parties also declined the invitation, as some were unsure about scheduling and availability.

"A combination of several issues made it impossible to hold the forum as planned, including volunteer needs. The LWV Candidates Forum is an event that requires a great deal of time and effort by a team of volunteers," O'Connor said.

Darien Republican Town Committee Chair Jameson Riley said he had "no comment" when asked about the cancellation of the forum earlier this week.

Erika Procaccini, the chair of the Darien Democratic Town Committee, noted her party's candidates "all said yes and were ready and eager to participate."

The League of Women Voters is "a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy," the organization's website says.

"We empower voters and defend democracy through advocacy, education, and litigation, at the local, state, and national levels."

Those who are interested in volunteering for leadership roles in the Darien League should contact the League of Women Voters of Connecticut at lwvct@lwvct.org for more information.