Potential Candidates Emerge In Race For Kupchick's Seat

FAIRFIELD, CT — It was just last week that Fairfield chose a new leader, but already potential candidates are preparing for another election — the one to fill First Selectwoman-elect Brenda Kupchick's seat in the Connecticut General Assembly.

On the Democrat side, activist Caitlin Clarkson Pereira and Board of Education member Jennifer Leeper have both expressed interest in running as the party candidate for House of Representatives District 132, with Pereira on Tuesday officially announcing her intent to seek the party endorsement. Among the Republicans, Representative Town Meeting member Brian Farnen is the only person so far to submit a letter declaring his pursuit of the party nomination, Republican Town Committee Chairman Jamie Millington said Wednesday.

Pereira ran against Kupchick for the seat in 2018, losing with 5,432 votes to Kupchick's 6,533, according to town election records.

A gun violence prevention consultant who has not previously held elected office, Pereira said she wants to run a progressive campaign that focuses on the interests of the constituents, which she said include stopping gun violence, equal access to education and women's rights. Pereira is in the midst of a legal battle with the State Elections Enforcement Commission after the agency ruled candidates can't use campaign dollars for childcare reimbursement.

Leeper said in an email that if she receives the party endorsement and is elected state representative, she will focus on transportation, education and building a business-friendly environment at the state level.

"I truly believe that the vast majority of us are much more closely aligned than it seems in this partisan world," she said in the email.

Farnen, who represents District 9 on the town meeting, said that while he is still talking over the idea of running with those close to him and hasn't made any announcements, he wants to be an independent voice for the community.

Kupchik described Farnen as a bipartisan, moderate Republican.

"I'm very supportive of him," she said.

While three possible candidates have shown interest in her seat, Kupchick has yet to resign. She said Wednesday she intends to do so Nov. 24, the day before her inauguration, meaning the special election to select a new state representative will likely be held in mid-January.

Once Kupchick resigns, each of the town party committees will hold a caucus of members who reside in District 132, and they will choose the party candidate, Millington and Democratic Town Committee Chairman Steve Sheinberg confirmed. The district includes Southport, downtown Fairfield and much of Fairfield's coastal area, as well as a northeastern section of town.

In addition to selecting a candidate for state representative, the Republican Town Committee intends at the same meeting to endorse a person to fill incoming Selectman Tom Flynn's seat on the Board of Finance, according to Millington. Outgoing Selectman Ed Bateson is seeking the party endorsement, but choosing someone to replace Flynn is an open process, Millington said.

Flynn's seat will be occupied by a Republican appointed by the Board of Selectmen until the vacancy can be filled by election, according to the Town Charter. His term on the Board of Finance expires in 2023.