Where is A Better Haddam This Election Year?

When he ran for his initial term as first selectman in Haddam in 2009, Republican Paul J. DeStefano beat out his opponent, Diane W. Stock, by just 115 votes.

Stock, a member of the third party, A Better Haddam, also ran on the Democratic ticket that year.

With DeStefano, who is seeking re-election this year, under fire for his support of the controversial land swap in Haddam, it would seem the perfect opportunity for A Better Haddam to once again seek the first selectman’s job.

But the local third party, which formed in 2007, has been quiet this election season. It not only hasn’t fielded a candidate, it hasn’t endorsed the Democrat challenging DeStefano, Peter Arsenault.

One reason, local political observers note, might be because Arsenualt, like DeStefano, supports the land swap proposal, which calls for the state to give 17 acres near the Connecticut River in Tylerville to a private developer in exchange for 87 acres in Higganum that the developer owns.

A vocal grassroots group, Citizens for the Protection of Public Land, formed this year to oppose the land swap and has swept some of A Better Haddam members into its cause, including Melissa Schlag, a leader of A Better Haddam who has also spearheaded the land swap opposition. 

The group has apparently encouraged Arsenault to oppose the land swap, promising its support of his campaign, but to no avail.

Leaders of A Better Haddam did not return requests for interviews about this year’s election, saying only that the party has been “quiet this year” and chose not to run a candidate. The party’s website says, in part, “We are dedicated to Haddam, Higganum, and Haddam Neck issues and to work together as citizens to maintain and improve our Town. Although our members are varied, we share a common characteristic: we are good, honest people willing to give up a few evenings a month to attend and/or participate in town meetings, to serve on boards, commissions, and committees, and to work for the greater good of our community. This is public service.”

Its failure to field a candidate this year is something of a disappointment to Sharon Botelle, a land swap opponent who was hoping to support a challenger to DeStefano. Botelle said she she’s not sure who she’ll support this year for first selectman.

“It’s going to be tough. I may not even vote for first selectman.”

She’s got a campaign sign on her front lawn for Robert Smith, the East Haddam Democrat who’s running for first selectman in that neighboring town, because Smith opposes the land swap.

“But I can’t vote for him!”  she said.