New Canaan Candidate Profile: Kevin Moynihan For First Selectman

NEW CANAAN, CT — Election day in New Canaan is drawing closer, and there are two candidates running for First Selectman, Republican incumbent Kevin Moynihan and Democratic challenger Craig Donovan.

To help residents make an informed decision on Nov. 5, New Canaan Patch asked the two candidates to answer questions about their campaigns and the issues in the town.

Moynihan, 69, is a retired corporate attorney who served on the New Canaan Town Council before becoming First Selectman in 2017.

He is married to Miriam "Mim" Stapleton Moynihan, and they have two children, son Brendan Moynihan, and daughter Caragh Moynihan Lengle. His campaign website is www.moynihan4newcanaan.com.

The single most pressing issue facing New Canaan is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The #1 issue facing New Canaan is maintaining our competitiveness with neighboring towns as a preferred choice for families to move to and raise their families. We have excellent schools and a great family-oriented community, but we need to address deficiencies like poor cell service, insufficient commuter parking, longer train times and newly higher tax rates that we need to improve on and I will find solutions to these issues.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

Because of my experience and background as a 35-year corporate attorney and my 38-year experience from living in town and from serving in town government and serving on non-profit boards like our Community Foundation, I know our town, our people and our history which my opponent does not know because he has not lived in town until very recently and has not served and volunteered in town.

List other issues that define your campaign platform:

In addition to addressing our real estate competitiveness issues, I am focused on retaining our seniors by supporting construction of "senior friendly" housing, supporting our downtown business community, creating more day care services for two-income families and on maintaining our semi-rural character by protecting open space and preserving our historic buildings.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

As a member of the Town Council for four years, I fostered the creation of our Audit Committee and Ethics Board and I inspired the formation of the Waveny Park Conservancy and supported the development of the New Canaan Athletic Foundation. As First Selectman, I have worked to make New Canaan a sustainable community with bringing natural gas and solar energy generation to reality.

The best advice ever shared with me was ...

It is a gift to be able to serve one's community and to be steward of a great community.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am privileged and honored to serve as New Canaan's First Selectman. I will be honored to have the citizens of New Canaan renew my contract to make New Canaan even better than it already is.