Darien Democrats Officially Endorse Candidates For Nov. 2

DARIEN, CT — Darien Democrats officially and unanimously endorsed their slate of candidates for this fall's election earlier this week.

Darien Democratic Town Committee Chair David Bayne said that the endorsements are the result of years of hard work "and the dedication of so many Darien Democrats – on and off the DTC – to make Darien a better place for its residents."

Board of Selectmen

The ticket will be led by Tara Ochman for First Selectman. Ochman is a current member and former chair of the Board of Education, where she was first elected in 2017.

"She led the Board of Ed. through three of its lowest budget cycles in history, easing the burden on taxpayers while maintaining the nationally renowned quality of Darien’s public schools," according to a news release from the Darien DTC.

Prior to her service on the Board of Ed., Ochman worked as trustee of the Darien Library, Chairwoman of the Council of Darien School Parents (CDSP) and Chair of the Ox Ridge PTO.

"I'm running for First Selectman because I believe that Darien is ready for a new path, one that goes beyond partisan politics. We can choose to continue to stagnate, to complain, to put off difficult decisions. Or, we can innovate, invest, and build a thriving future for our Town," Ochman said in a news release. "I'm ready to bring life, energy, and business back to our downtown storefronts, to put a real, long-term strategy in place for our public parks and open space, and to prepare Darien's roads, beaches, and infrastructure for the worsening storms of a warming climate. We are not a Democratic or Republican town. We are a town that expects and deserves thoughtful, forward-looking leadership."

For more information on Ochman, click here.

Joining Ochman will be her former fellow Board of Ed. member, Mike Burke, who is running for Selectman. Burke completed six years of service on the Board of Ed. last November. Prior to that, he was elected to multiple terms to the Representative Town Meeting and was a member of their Education, Public Health & Safety and Town Government Structure and Administration Committees.

Burke said in a news release he's running "because it is time for Darien to do better." Burke noted that coming out of the pandemic, the town needs to think proactively about its future. He mentioned the need for better roads and sidewalks, and preparing for storms

"During my six years on the Board of Education, I made decisions based on merit as opposed to party fiat while engaging my colleagues on the important issues. I plan to make that my basis for serving on the Board of Selectmen and the foundation of our campaign," he said.

Democrats endorsed incumbent Sarah Nuemann to run for Selectman.

Neumann has proposed and helped implement a new Communication Director position for the First Selectmen’s office to ensure greater communication, transparency, and engagement with residents. In addition, Neumann is leading an effort to create a pedestrian safety marketing campaign for Darien residents to address this vital issue that has long needed greater attention.

During COVID, she organized drivers for groceries, organized a food drive for P2P, and called seniors to advise on how to get vaccinated.

Neumann said in a news release she's excited to run for re-election.

"While COVID has certainly touched all of our lives, in so many ways large and small, I have been grateful to help the town in any way that I could. As we come out of this pandemic, I look forward to addressing some of the many issues Darien faces in the near future," she said. "We need to start looking at ways to remediate the flooding that has become such a common issue and look at ways to help keep all of our residents safe on the roads and sidewalks."

Bayne called the trio "the most accomplished and exciting team of Darien Democrats to run for the Board of Selectmen in a generation" in a news release.

Board of Education

Elsewhere on the ticket, Julie Best and Stacey Tié were endorsed to run in a challenge race for the Board of Education. Bayne called them "tireless advocates" for children and education.

Best, who has a background in advertising, has volunteered primarily at her kids’ schools. Among other roles, she has served three years as a chair of Council of Darien School Parents (CDSP) was the Chair of the Tokeneke PTO, chaired the Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival twice, served as the Fundraising Chair at Noroton Presbyterian Nursery School, and served on the Alumnae Board at The Convent of the Sacred Heart in New York City.

Best's children have been in Darien Public Schools for the last 11 years, and while she said the town's schools are "top notch", there's still work to do.

Best highlighted uncertainties related to the pandemic and challenges at the state level.

"I want to help navigate these challenges and steer our district through these difficulties," she said in a news release

Tié is a member of the RTM, where she serves on the Finance and Budget Committee. She began her volunteer work by becoming an Early Learning Program representative to the CDSP in 2014.

Tié undertook coursework to become a non-attorney special education advocate. She is currently working as an advocate at the Law Offices of Dana A. Jonson, LLC, where she advises non-Darien families.

"Whether as a PTO leader, CDSP committee chair, RTM member or professional non-attorney advocate, I have spent a good portion of my life advocating for our children. And while Darien is an academically high performing district, we still have a lot of work to do for our kids, most notably in the realm of mental health and development of the whole student," she said in a news release.

For more information on these candidates, click here.

Board of Finance

David Martin was endorsed for the Board of Finance. Since retiring from JP Morgan Asset Management as the Head of Investment Grade Corporate Bond research, Martin has served on the RTM Finance and Budget Committee for three years and on the Board of Selectmen for the past two years.

"I look forward to bringing my many years of financial analysis experience and town knowledge to the Board of Finance," Martin said in a news release. "Having seen the budget and financing process from the perspective of an RTM member and as a Selectman, I feel I have a unique insight into how Darien provides services to its residents and how those services should be financed."

Planning & Zoning

Adam Balgach was endorsed to run for the Planning & Zoning Commission. Balgach moved to Darien three years ago, and DTC members believe he represents "the next generation of Darien residents."

Balgach said his goal is to "ensure that Darien continues to be a place where people love to live and work."

Board of Assessment Appeals

Rounding out the ticket is Glen Ritch, who will run as an incumbent for the Board of Assessment Appeals.

Ritch has spent over 40 years in commercial property management, including eight years as a resident of Darien.