Historic Greenwich Municipal Election Sees Finance Board Control Go to Democrats; Republican First Selectman Camillo Wins 4th Term

The unofficial municipal election results are in, and both Greenwich Democrats and Republicans have much to be happy about.

At Bosco’s Bar & Grill in Old Greenwich, Democrats were joyous to have gained control of the Town’s powerful finance board, the Board of Estimate and Taxation. The significance of that victory is that the party with the most votes is awarded the BET chairmanship, which comes with a unique tie-breaking vote.

Christina Downey, the DTC chair, recalled how 2-1/2 years earlier, Democrats sat down in BET member Matt DesChamps’ dining room to brainstorm.

“We said the single most powerful person in this town is the chair of the BET. If we’re only going for one thing, that’s what we want, and now we got it,” she said to cheers.

“I look forward to the next two years with our Democratic chair of the BET, whoever they decide it’s going to be, it’s a new time for Greenwich,” Downey said.

 

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BET member David Weisbrod received applause for his remarks about the Democratic BET victory.

“The results bode very well for the Democratic party and the Democratic message. The reason we won, I think, was because our message was clear and simple: We offer competency. We offer financial acumen. We offer heart.”

As for the Democrats’ approach on the BET, Weisbrod said, “We are going to do this in a civil way that you will all be proud of. We will reach out to the other team. We will take all ideas and incorporate them. We will not sacrifice the values we all share.”

Rachel Khanna, who was elected Democratic selectwoman, said, “Our campaign has been about leadership, vision and professionalism for a future built on respect, collaboration and common sense.”

Khanna said she was proud of the Democrats’ campaign. “We knocked on over 18,000 doors and made over 14,000 phone calls…We had an incredible slate. This whole team, especially some of the new faces gives me great hope for the future of our party.”

“While tonight didn’t bring every result we hoped for, I feel immense pride and gratitude. We ran a campaign of integrity, heart and hope – together we built something lasting.”

Anthony Moor who lost his bid for First Selectman to incumbent Republican Fred Camillo said, “This has been an incredible few years because while the campaign started on June 3, the real campaign started back in 2021,” he recalled.

Mr. Moor praised Ms Khanna who he described as “neck and neck and came as close as you can come” to Republican candidate for Selectwoman Lauren Rabin.

“We pinned the needle on the donkey today of that BET,” he exclaimed to cheers.

“And we dropped the other guys like a lead balloon to the bottom of the ocean. And below the muck of the ocean was an Independent candidate who was actually gaslighting the whole time,” he said, a reference to Karen Fassuliotis, a Republican member of the BET who was not endorsed by her party for re-election but ran as an Independent candidate, likely siphoning off votes from Republicans.

Mr. Moor noted the close race between Rachel Khanna and Lauren Rabin. “I’m just going to put it out there – maybe she’s our next First Selectwoman,” he said to chants of “Rachel, Rachel, Rachel.”

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Over at Townhouse on Church Street, GFP reporter James Bonney covered the Republican election night gathering.

 

Fret Camillo, who won a fourth term, talked about the quality of Republican candidates, referring to his running mate, Lauren Rabin as “the best deputy mayor in Connecticut,” and Jackie Budkins “the best Town Clerk in the state of Connecticut.”

Camillo thanked the BET slate – Josh Brown, Joe Kelly, Joe Pellegrino, Sally Bednar, Leslie Tarkington and Harry Fisher – for their hard work.

“To the people of Greenwich, it’s a true honor,” he said. “I will work just as hard in the next two years as I have in the last six years. Greenwich has a lot going for it despite some of the negative campaigning we saw from the Democratic town committee. They were grasping at issues and it’s silly.”

“If you want to be number one, as Vince Lombardi said, you always shoot for perfection. You’re never going to attain it, but along the way you’re going to catch excellence.”

Republican BET member Leslie Tarkington spoke briefly, thanking volunteers and her family. Having petitioned onto the ballot after her party failed to endorse her, Tarkington was then endorsed along with BET chair Harry Fisher, by First Selectman Camillo to be part of a slate of six who were successful in a September primary election.

Republican BET member Joe Pellegrino also made brief remarks.

“It’s not the outcome we wanted,” Pellegrino said. “But we have renewed spirit. We’re going to fight hard, as a united BET and we will change things going forward.”

New Republican BOE member Karen Krause thanked Ed Dadakis and Michael Hahn for their support.

“Our commitment to our community and to our schools is enduring and steadfast,” Krause said.

BOE Republican Paul Cappiali had the most to say.

“I am looking forward to taking a seat on the Board of Education, finally,” Cappiali said, a reference to the controversy over the October 2024 emergency meeting where Republican Jen Behette was elected. A day later the Selectmen appointed Cappiali in a vote of 2-0-1.

The BOE declined to seat Cappiali despite his claims to be the rightful member of the school board. The FOI commission ruled the emergency meeting was not legal, and therefore null and void, but did not rule as to whether the Selectmen’s purview included appointing a BOE member.

The lawsuit between Fred Camillo and the BOE is ongoing.

“For those of you that don’t know, we have another court case on Thursday morning, with a BOE meeting on Thursday evening. So the Democrats, as Fred said, thumbed their nose at the FOIC ruling and seated their preferred candidate for last Thursday’s meeting,” Cappiali added. “And so unfortunately we have to go to court and ask for an injunction.”

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Unofficial results per the Registrar of Voters 11:12pm, subject to verification.