Tara Ochman Launches Candidacy For Darien First Selectman

DARIEN, CT — Tara Ochman, a longtime Darien resident and community volunteer, has announced her candidacy for the position of first selectman.

Ochman is a current member and former chair of the Darien Board of Education. A Democrat, she believes that Darien needs a new kind of forward-thinking leadership, according to a news release.

First Selectman Jayme Stevenson announced last month she will not seek re-election this fall after serving five terms in the position.

"This election is about choices," Ochman said in a news release. "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's was first elected to the Board of Education in 2017 and unanimously chosen to be chair by the majority Republican board in 2018. She led the board 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.

Ochman now wants to take that same bipartisan problem solving to Town Hall and include all Darien residents in the decisions of local government, according to her campaign team.

"For too long the talents and experience of residents have been undervalued. For too long our town government has simply managed the status quo, rather than built for the future," Ochman said. "With strong leadership and energy, we can do better. We can do the hard work necessary to ensure that Darien is a competitive and desirable 21st century town, a place where the next generation of young families choose to live and raise their children."

Ochman also believes that Darien's town leadership has been too insular in recent years, allowing cities like Stamford and Norwalk to dominate Fairfield County politics and failing to establish Darien's own agenda, according to her campaign team.

"We cannot continue to cower in fear at the politics coming from Hartford or shy away from the important conversations about our state and our region," Ochman said. "We must acknowledge where there is work to do but be unapologetic about our successes. If there is any place with the expertise, heart and the know-how to achieve progress, it is Darien."

Further information can be found at TaraOchmanforDarien.com.