Democrats Laura Erickson and Janet Stone McGuigan announced Thursday they are seeking the endorsement for First Selectperson and Selectperson from the Greenwich Democratic Town Committee.
Laura Erickson, a former banker and current Board of Estimate and Taxation officeholder, announced her candidacy for First Selectperson jointly with Selectperson Janet Stone McGuigan, who is seeking re-election.
The two said they intend to run as a slate in the upcoming November municipal campaign.
“I am running for First Selectperson to bring needed change to Greenwich,” Erickson said. “We need responsible stewardship of town and public school infrastructure; solutions to improve traffic, parking and public safety; and leadership and vision to preserve neighborhood character and address affordable housing for our town workforce and most vulnerable residents.”
“I’ve had a front row seat for the past four years on the Board of Estimate and Taxation (BET), and I’m done with kicking the can down the road,” Erickson continued. “Our town can meet the needs of our residents and taxpayers. It’s time for thoughtful, prudent planning. This is what my campaign, and the campaign for the BET is going to be about: a referendum on bringing leadership to solve our challenges versus sidestepping them.”
Erickson is in her second term on the BET, currently serving on the BET Budget Committee.
She is a past chair of the Board of Education and served on the Representative Town Meeting for over a decade on both the Finance and Health & Human Services Committees. She currently serves on the board of the Norwalk Community College Foundation and is a prior board member of the Greenwich Alliance for Education and the Greenwich United Way.
Erickson is a thirty-year resident of Greenwich. Her three children attended Greenwich public schools from K-12. She is also a former PTA co-president at Greenwich High and Riverside School. Professionally, Erickson was a commercial banker in the technology sector, and is a graduate of Middlebury College.
Selectperson Janet Stone McGuigan is seeking her second term on the Board of Selectmen.
“Greenwich is a gem, but to keep it shining we need to make responsible investments in our community. Like Laura, I have invested countless hours to develop good working relationships with our incredible town professionals and volunteers and to understand the many issues facing our town,” Stone McGuigan said. “Climate change is real and as a coastal community Greenwich needs to address both rising sea levels and inland flooding. Our harbor is a treasure but we have let it become almost unnavigable in places. We need to make schools our highest capital priority. To make sound decisions we need to promote transparency and public input. I have and will continue to embrace these values. We are running on our records.”
Stone McGuigan currently serves as Selectperson and is the co-chair of the Greenwich Sustainability Committee and Board of Selectmen liaison to the Energy Management Advisory Committee, the Harbor Management Commission and the Old Greenwich School and Julian Curtiss School Building Committees. She is currently a board member for Barbara’s House, (formerly Community Centers, Inc.). Stone McGuigan is a prior board member of the League of Women Voters of Greenwich and PTA Council. She also served on the RTM and continues as an ex-officio member.
She has lived in Greenwich since 2006. Her two children and spouse attended Greenwich public schools from K-12. A former environmental policy analyst and mediator, she holds degrees from Cornell and Harvard University.
Erickson and Stone McGuigan said they are running for First Selectperson and Selectperson as a slate to effect positive change in the town.
“We will lead our campaigns on a platform of ideas, based on our vision and years of collective experience in local government and non-profit organizations. We look forward to meeting town residents in the next five months before Election Day on November 7, 2023,” they wrote on Thursday. “We will be campaigning hard, along with the entire slate of Democratic candidates, to discuss the issues
and the actions that will ensure a brighter future for our town.”