Vote Recounts To Be Held In Some Fairfield RTM Districts

FAIRFIELD, CT — Initial vote totals indicated the Democrats would retake the majority on Fairfield’s Representative Town Meeting after Tuesday’s local election, but the results aren’t final yet.

Automatic recounts will be conducted in town meeting Districts 2, 6 and 9 within five business days of the election, Town Clerk Betsy Browne confirmed Wednesday, adding Thursday that a recount for Town Plan and Zoning Commission alternate was waived. State law provides for a recount in any contest where the difference between the last winning candidate and the first losing candidate is less than 0.5 percent or 20 votes, according to the Fairfield Office of the Registrars of Voters.

“The election results were extremely close and the town is conducting recounts as is appropriate,” Republican Town Committee Chairman Alex Plitsas said in an email. “No voter should be disenfranchised.”

The Democrats appeared to secure a 23-17 majority on the town meeting Tuesday, after losing a 22-18 majority on the body about 10 months ago, when two Democratic representatives switched parties.

“The DTC supports the registrar’s due process on recounts,” Democratic Town Committee Chairman Steve Sheinberg said Wednesday in an email.

In District 2, a single vote separated the fourth-ranking town meeting candidate from the fifth, with the top four candidates to serve as district representatives. Republicans Jeff Steele and Karen McCormack got the most support, followed by Democrat Cindy Perham, according to preliminary totals from the town registrars, which showed all three received well over 700 votes. Incumbent Democrat Bill Gerber came in fourth, with 679 votes, trailed by fellow Democrat Hal Schwartz, with 678. Republican Lori McArthur had 675, Democrat Erin Lopez had 674, and Republican Jarrett Crosby had 672.

In District 6, Democrats Lisa Havey, Steve Berecz and Andrew Graceffa got 477, 453 and 443 votes, respectively, according to preliminary numbers. The lone Republican who, in the initial count, received enough votes to represent the district was incumbent Hannah Gale, with 437. Gale switched parties in late 2020 in response to state Democrats' handling of legislation regarding religious vaccine exemption. Democrat Neil Parzych trailed with 430 votes, and Republicans Janice Bouloubasis, Nina Velez and Tameisha Powell-Dunmore, respectively, had 429, 424 and 411 votes.

In District 9, top vote-getters Dru Georgiadis, Christine Brown and Margaret Horton, all Democrats, each had over 800 votes, initial totals said. Republican Kelly Scinto followed with 746, trailed closely by Democrat Debby Zieff, who had 738. Behind them were Republicans Crissy Kelly, Sarah Matthews and Bill Perugini, with 729, 727 and 708, respectively, followed by unaffiliated candidate Jim Bowen, with 600.