Dumont Pulls Out of Town Council Election

District 4 Town Councilwoman Clemence Dumont has told Republican party members that she will not seek a third term in the November elections.

“I have enjoyed serving on the Enfield Town Council, but my personal commitments have increased in the last year and I find I am unable to continue the level of service I have provided to my District neighbors," Dumont said in a statement issued by the Enfield Republican Town Committee. "It has been an exciting four years and I have enjoyed working with the other council members as we continued to make Enfield a great place to live."

While on the Council, Dumont was the Chairman of the Leisure Committee and worked closely with the Enfield Dog Park Action Committee. The park on Town Farm Road is scheduled to open in September.  

Dumont was the endorsed District 4 candidate by Republican voters at the July caucus. After interviewing several candidates, the Executive Committee of the ERTC selected Tom Kienzler to replace her on the ballot.

Kienzler is a member of the Dog Park Action Committee and served many years as a board member and coach for the Thompsonville Little League. He is an insurance sales manager for Colonial Life, and has lived in Enfield for 18 years.

“I look forward to joining the council and adding my experience to this strong slate of candidates,”  Kienzler said in the ERTC statement. “I have seen how creative this council has been saving the taxpayers money but not losing necessary services."

The lack of an incumbent in District 4 makes the race for that seat wide open between Kienzler and fellow Enfield political newcomer Stephen Palmer.

Palmer, the endorsed candidate of town Democrats in July, currently serves as the Committee Clerk of the General Law Committee at the Connecticut state legislature. He has previously held numerous positions in the legislative and executive branches of Connecticut state government.  Most notably, he served as a public policy analyst and in-house webmaster for then-Lt. Gov. Kevin Sullivan, and later as Committee Clerk of the Labor and Public Employees Committee.

Election Day is Nov. 8.