Camillo On First Selectman Win: 'Thank You Greenwich'

GREENWICH, CT — The room was tense as hundreds of town Republicans gathered around a large screen Tuesday night at the Greenwich Teen Center, watching the results for a number of high-profile races in town trickle in.

As each district posted its results, one thing became clear: Greenwich's first selectman race was going to be a close match.

At one point, with only eight district totals counted, Republican candidate Fred Camillo and Democratic candidate Jill Oberlander were both at 50 percent, separated only by a handful of votes. Then the totals for Districts 11 and 12 came in, pushing Camillo ahead as his supporters erupted into loud cheers and thunderous applause.

See also: Greenwich Election Results 2019: Camillo Wins First Selectman

When the the lone vote totals for District 8 were delayed, the crowd was left to wait anxiously until Greenwich Republican Town Committee Chair Rich DiPreta finally shared the news.

"We won," DiPreta said, evoking more passionate cheers. "We won first selectman, we won selectman, we won town clerk and we won tax collector."

Unofficial results as of 3 a.m. indicate Camillo won out at 57.36 percent, receiving 10,045 votes. Oberlander received 7,466 votes.

Republican candidate and Camillo's running mate Lauren Rabin was also the projected winner in the selectman race, beating incumbent Sandy Litvack. Unofficial results indicate Rabin received 9,633 votes and Litvack received 7,457.

As he celebrated with RTC members and supporters Tuesday night, Camillo noted the event was the culmination of many months of hard work.

"We knew it wasn't going to be easy," Camillo said Tuesday night. "We knew that the opposing party was very energized off the last two years, but we ran on our record and our vision for the future, and we stuck to that. I think the voters responded to that. They have a familiarity with us, because we're in the community all the time."

See also: Greenwich Candidate Profile: Fred Camillo For First Selectman

• Greenwich Candidate Profile: Lauren Rabin For Selectman

Camillo said he and Rabin were "raring to go" and were excited to finally get started and get to work.

"We're going to be reaching out to everybody, including people across the aisle," Camillo said. "Without cooperation, not much can get done, so we're looking forward to it."

After receiving the news she had won the selectman position, Rabin said she was both "beyond excited" and "humbled" by the results.

"I was nervous waiting for [the results]," Rabin said. "I was sick to my stomach, but when they started to come in I just couldn't believe it. This is amazing."

She also expressed gratitude to voters for putting their trust in her and Camillo's leadership.

"Thank you for your confidence in me," Rabin said, "and thank you for opening the door to Fred and my administration."

See also: Greenwich First Selectman 2019 Election: Camillo Vs. Oberlander

• Greenwich Selectman 2019 Election Profile: Litvack Vs. Rabin

The mood was less jovial at the Greenwich Senior Center, where town Democrats were dealing with losses in the first selectman, selectman and many other key town races.

Oberlander remained upbeat and said she looked forward to working with Camillo and Rabin, confirming that she will be accepting the position of selectman. The Board of Selectman's two selectman positions go to the candidates who receive the second and third most votes, which in this case were Oberlander and Rabin.

"I wish Fred and Lauren congratulations, and I hope they're enjoying their celebratory win," Oberlander said Tuesday night. "I look forward to working with them and advancing the agenda I talked about on this campaign, which resonated so greatly with our residents, and moving Greenwich forward."

She also remained upbeat about what seemed to be a sweeping victory for town Republicans this year.

"The Democrats of this community will continue to fight for the values of our residents and ensure we protect the rights of the people here who need it most," Oberlander said. "[Greenwich] is an incredible community, and I'm so fortunate to live here and represent them."

Camillo also offered words of kindness about his "tough opponents," Oberlander and Litvack.

"They ran a hard race," Camillo said. "We've had nice conversations, and I'm looking forward to working with them both."

For Camillo, his history in Greenwich dates back centuries, as his family has lived in town for four generations.

Though he has served six terms as state representative for the 151st house district of Greenwich, he has also held a number of positions in Greenwich's town government system. He previously served on the Representative Town Meeting from 1995 to 2001, and was chairman of the Greenwich Board of Parks & Recreation from 2000 to 2002.

He subsequently served as chairman of the Republican Town Committee from 2002 to 2006, shortly before shifting gears to the state level.

"I know this town," Camillo said in an interview with Patch last month. "I don't come at the people; I come from them. It's my birthplace, and I love it with all my heart and never want to see it take a step backwards."

He steps into the role previously held by Peter Tesei, who announced earlier this year he would not seek reelection following the end of his sixth term.

"[Tesei's] record speaks for itself," Camillo said. "He really is a wonderful person, a terrific public servant and somebody that history will judge very well here in Greenwich."