Two weeks ago the Democratic Town Committee met to finalize their slate of candidates for the November 4, 2025 municipal election.
While Republicans endorsed more than the required number of candidates for the Board of Education, the Democrats endorsed only two: Veronica Chiavaroli and Bob Chaney.
There were two votes at the July DTC meeting. There was a vote to endorse 3 candidates for the ballot, not two as the nominating committee had recommended. The vote failed with 37 votes in support and 45 votes opposed.
A second vote was to endorse two people from the list of people interested. Each member could select up to two names from among Mr. Chaney and Ms Chiavaroli – the two who had been recommended by the nominating committee – and Ms Kostin, who threw her hat in the ring. Chiavaroli received 62 votes; Chaney received 57 votes and Kostin received 29 votes.
After being passed over, Democratic incumbent on the Board of Education, Laura Kostin, quickly got busy petitioning her way onto the ballot, and on Monday, Aug 4, she achieved the required number of petition signatures to earn a place on the November 4 ballot.
The number of required signatures was 568, which represents 5% of Greenwich’s registered Democrats. She completed her petition effort on Monday, well in advance of the Wednesday deadline.
Laura Kostin photographed outside town hall on Aug 5, 2025 Photo: Leslie Yager
On Tuesday, Ms Kostin, who was sworn in for her first 4-year term in November 2021, said she was pleased to have surpassed the required 568 petition signatures in advance of the deadline.
The parent of four children, Kostin served on the PTA Board at North Street School. Then, in 2017, she was elected to her first term on the Representative Town Meeting and was re-elected in 2019. As a representative of the BOE she is a member of the Central Middle School building committee.
On Monday she said her successful petition meant voters will have a true choice when it comes to selecting which Democratic candidates t0 serve on the Board of Education.
“I want to thank the nearly 600 voters who signed my petition, my husband and family for their support, and those who helped me collect signatures,” she said in a statement on Monday.
Kostin said she looked forward to the next phase of her campaign, which is to iscuss the issues that matter most: driving student achievement, improving special education, modernizing our facilities, making school buildings accessible.
“Here in America, voters are supposed to decide elections, not party insiders behind closed doors,” she said in reference to her party not endorsing her for another four-year term.
“Forty or so people in a room tried to take that choice away from voters, but more than 10 times that number of people signed my petition to put me on the ballot. I believe all the voters in our community deserve the opportunity to choose who will guide the Greenwich Public Schools.”
Democrat, Jeff Ramer, a former DTC chair and former member of the BET, said he was pleased Ms Kostin achieved the requisite number of signatures.
“It is a gift that the Town Democratic Party is able to offer these three highly talented and experienced candidates for the School Board. Because Laura Kostin is an incumbent with years of School Board experience, a position on the Budget Committee, and service on the Central Middle School Building Committee, it is particularly gratifying to see the strong petition support for repeat candidacy,” Ramer said.
Ramer continued, “We are looking forward to the warm reception at the polls by the voters for these distinguished candidates in November.”
Former member of both the BET and BOE Laura Erickson, who had a similar experience to Ms Kostin weighed in.
In 2013, after Erickson was passed over for endorsement by the DTC, she petitioned her way onto the ballot for Board of Education, going on to be successful at the polls and later becoming BOE chair.
“My position has been consistent in my experience with the Greenwich DTC that when we have up to four vetted candidates for the seats available, we should run respectful, substantive campaigns on the issues and let the voters at large decide. Everyone is a stakeholder in our public schools,” she said.
Ms Erickson said she had spoken in favor of the motion to put forward three candidates for the BOE during the July 16 DTC meeting.
“DTC membership held a thoughtful, respectful discussion and the outcome of the motion was 37 in favor, 45 against so it failed,” she said.
“Ms. Kostin has secured the required signatures to appear on the ballot, along with endorsed candidates Veronica Chiavaroli and Bob Chaney. All three BOE candidates who will appear on Row A are highly qualified and have a record of engagement with Greenwich Public Schools.” Erickson added.
“We will have to wait and see if the Republican side of the ticket will offer choice or if some of the candidates are serving as placeholders and will later drop out as has happened in past elections.”
“My own history as a petitioning candidate for the BOE in 2013 and as a candidate in other elections has led me to believe that in addition to the stark policy differences among the political parties, offering choice drives more robust campaign efforts and increases voter turnout on Election Day.”
Note: This article was updated to reflect that the DTC took two votes: one on whether to endorse 3 candidates for the ballot, and one to select two of the three people interested.
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RTC Shuffle Candidates for Fall Greenwich Municipal Elections Slate