Once again the most interesting election is likely to be for the Greenwich Board of Education. This time the process is as important as the candidates. Voters will have choices because two candidates, one Republican and one Democrat, have petitioned their way onto the ballot.
For years the Greenwich Time has railed against the lack of choice in board of education elections because the Republican Town Committee and the Democratic Town Committee routinely nominate two candidates, the exact number they can elect, leaving two candidate spaces vacant. If only two candidates run from each party they automatically win in November.
I have always wondered why people who wanted to run for the school board did not simply petition their way onto the ballot. Perhaps it is because the RTC and the DTC pretended that petitions would lead to expensive and divisive primaries when, in fact, if there are fewer candidates than spaces to fill, the petitioner need only submit sufficient signatures to qualify for a primary, which appears to be 5% of Republican voters and 1% of Democratic voters (different party rules at play), and he or she is placed as a nominee on the party line. No primary is held. You may also petition to become an independent candidate on a separate line but that is a tougher road because you lose the benefit of the automatic voters who only vote the party lines.
Turning to the candidates, the last school board election featured a race between four nominees endorsed by the RTC. This time the RTC decided to snub its incumbent and just nominate two candidates. Peter Sherr, the Republican incumbent, was not nominated by the RTC who endorsed two tyros, Peter Bernstein and Brian Peldunas. When an incumbent is not re-nominated there is always a reason, although it may not be openly expressed. One rationale offered was that Mr. Sherr was disloyal when he voted for Leslie Moriarty, a Democrat, as board chair. Not spoken, but apparent to some, is that Mr. Sherr was a supporter of Marianna Pons-Cohen, a controversial incumbent nominee in the last school board race, and so was opposed by her opponents on the RTC. Mr. Sherr turned the tables on the RTC by submitting petitions signed by a sufficient number of Republicans to qualify for a primary and thus automatically appear on the party line (unless two more Republicans qualify by Thursday, an unlikely event).
On the Democratic side, Laura Erickson has submitted petitions that would qualify her to run as an independent or to run as a Democrat. Laura would prefer to run as a Democrat and, if she qualifies, she will give up the independent line. Laura Erickson was not endorsed by the DTC which endorsed Samarpana Tam and Debbie Applebaum. Rebecca Steinfeld, who was recommended by the DTC Executive Committee did not receive the endorsement of the full DTC.
Truth be told, I recommended that all four Democratic candidates were qualified and should be nominated with the choice left to the voters but the DTC voted by a narrow margin to limit the nominations to only two candidates. Proponents of the limitation argued that protection of preferred candidates required the DTC to endorse only two candidates. They argued that if more candidates were nominated than could be elected the Republicans would select which Democrats served on the school board. Citing the past defeats of two Democratic incumbents they asserted this was proof the more progressive candidates would inevitably be defeated. Party loyalty was also cited as a reason limit the number of candidates. Two elections ago, the DTC nominated three qualified candidates, but Jennifer Dayton declined to run against fellow Democrats and was rewarded with the nomination the next time when only two candidates were nominated.
Those who wished to open up the nominations pointed out that there were no Democratic incumbents to protect and Democratic values supported open free and fair elections in which the voters choose public officials and, any way, the process allowed candidates to petition onto the party line and failing to fill the party slots would invite petition candidates.
Some took the position that pursuing candidacy without DTC endorsement was disloyal to the party. Candidates were asked to pledge not to petition for a primary and three of the four took the pledge with Laura Erickson refusing to do so. Laura's candor probably cost her votes at the DTC but her ability to obtain signatures on her petitions indicates she has a substantial following among the electorate.
In my view, petitions are part of the process and the only avenue open to a party member who failed to secure a party endorsement but believes he or she is the best qualified candidate. The goal should be to elect the best qualified members to the Greenwich Board of Education while preserving the balanced board where no political party is dominant.
Although both party committees refused to provide voters choice in November this year two petition candidates, one Republican and one Democrat, will be on the ballot in November vying with the endorsed candidates of their party.
I look forward to a spirited campaign in which all the candidates define themselves and provide clear direction how they intend to contribute to the excellence of public education in Greenwich. Let the games begin.
