Independent Party of Connecticut Approves Enfield Application

ENFIELD, CT — A third political party formed during a contentious municipal election season in 2019 has received endorsement from the Independent Party of Connecticut, leading to formation of the Independent Party of Enfield (IPE).

Michael Telesca, chairman of the Waterbury-based Independent Party of Connecticut State Central Committee, announced the approval of an application to establish the IPE, submitted by Voices for Enfield chair Gina Sullivan and vice chair Marcy Taliceo. The party plans to field a complete ticket of candidates to run for town council, Board of Education and constable seats in the 2021 election season.

"I wish them good luck and success in their campaign to bring needed change and open government to Enfield," Telesca said.

Voices for Enfield (VFE) began in the summer of 2019, when Enfield Democratic Town Committee chair Liz Davis and about a dozen other committee members resigned amid considerable party infighting. Davis, at the time a sitting member of the town council, ran for the Board of Education, as did Taliceo and Monica Wright. Two other VFE members also ran for elected office: Colleen Reidy campaigned for an at-large town council seat, and Eileen MacDonald sought to retain her constable post.

The candidates had hoped to secure spots on the 2019 ballot in Row C, designated for the Independent Party, but were beaten to the punch by Republican party leadership. In a letter acquired by Patch, dated July 31, 2019, Enfield Republican Town Committee (ERTC) chair Mary Ann Turner received acknowledgement from the Office of the Secretary of the State for receipt of her "application for a nominating petition" to enable the Republicans to place their candidates on the Independent Party line.

Turner submitted the names of two registered Independent Party members with her application. In response to an Aug. 2019 inquiry, Pearl Williams of the Office of the Secretary of the State wrote, "The authorized agents for the Independent Party are Grace Maria Kruzel and Albert Keenan." Kruzel, who was 19 years old at the time, is the daughter of Board of Education chairman Walter Kruzel.

Taliceo said, "In 2019, we applied to reserve the Independent Party in Enfield. We quickly learned that the disingenuous actions of the Enfield Republican Town Committee chair blocked us from securing the line, without approval of the Independent Party of Connecticut."

Eventually, no Republican candidates appeared on the Independent Party line in 2019, enabling Voices for Enfield to secure Row C just prior to the election. No VFE candidates were elected, but each candidate attained more than 1 percent of the vote, giving the group recognition as an official party.

In the 2020 election, incumbent Republican state Sen. John Kissel and state Rep. Carol Hall appeared on the Independent Party line. With the inclusion of the Working Families Party, the Libertarian Party and the Green Party, Voices for Enfield was relegated to the sixth row for Registrar of Voters candidate Susan Braun. The approval of the IPE by the state central committee assures the group placement on the Independent Party line going forward.

"The Independent Party of Enfield is devoted to put the community first," Taliceo said. "We are eager to build Enfield’s nonpartisan independent party, and we welcome you to join us."

Sullivan said, "In 1965, a group of 600 people marched to Selma with the goal of bringing to the forefront the importance of voting rights for everyone. This day will forever be remembered as “Blood Sunday” as hundreds lost their lives. Today we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr., whose mission was to unite and respect everyone equally. Currently we live in an unfortunate climate, and we should all remember his 1965 speech when he said, "Human progress comes through the tireless efforts and the persistent work of dedicated individuals," and they "realize that the time is always right to do what is right.""

She added, "The time's right; we all have an opportunity to vote for people, not politics."

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