MIDDLEBURY — Republican Brian Shaban won Tuesday’s special election for a seat on the Board of Selectmen, defeating Democrat Charles “Casey” Larkin IV by a tally of 1,411 to 1,167, securing the position to which he was appointed in January.
The special election featured a steady flow of voters, with 1,770 Middlebury residents casting their votes on a rainy Tuesday in June. In four days of early voting, 744 residents made their way to the polls. An additional 64 voters cast their votes via absentee ballot.
Voter turnout was just north of 37 percent (2,578 total ballots), according to the Connecticut Secretary of State (still unofficial as of mid-day Wednesday).
Shaban’s victory – by a margin of 244 votes – means that the Board of Selectmen now features a Republican (Selectman Shaban), a Democrat (Selectman J. Paul Vance), and an Unaffiliated member (First Selectwoman Jennifer Mahr).
The special election vote breakdown is as follows:
Election Day (Tuesday, June 23)
Brian Shaban – 964
Casey Larkin – 806
Early Voting
Shaban – 424
Larkin – 320
Absentee Ballot
Shaban – 23
Larkin – 41
From Appointed to Elected
Shaban spent most of Tuesday greeting voters as they arrived at the Shepardson Community Center. The day featured no shortage of handshakes and conversations through car windows, as well as a visit from State Sen. Ryan Fazio, the Republican nominee for governor.
As polls closed at 8:00 p.m., it would be another 20 minutes before results were announced by LeAnn Cassidy, who served as the moderator for Tuesday’s special election.
In the moments of waiting, Shaban made a brief stop at his residence before joining his camp at Pies & Pub to deliver his victory speech.
Before walking into the local eatery, Shaban spoke with the Record about Tuesday’s results.
“I hope that I can represent everybody,” said Shaban. “I think Casey and I both had goals to end the division in town, and I hope to do whatever is best for Middlebury.”
The road to the June special election was months in the making, as it was the result of a petition that collected the required 345 verified signatures following Shaban’s appointment to the town’s Board of Selectmen in January.
Shaban’s appointment earlier this year was made by a group of five town officers – a process triggered when the Board of Selectmen missed its December 31 deadline to fill the vacancy, as the open seat was up for grabs from a member of either party following First Selectwoman Jennifer Mahr’s elevation to the town’s top leadership position.
Mahr publicly backed the special election, saying voters should have a direct say in the process, and she would later go on to endorse Larkin in late May. Selectman Vance would go on to say – just days before the special election – that he believed Shaban “has earned serious consideration from voters of every political affiliation.”
Shaban reflected on the months-long process that began with his appointment and concluded with Tuesday’s election victory.
“It’s been like a fever dream,” Shaban told the Record. “I’ve grown up loving this town, and to now be in this position to make it even better, it’s very exciting.”
Proud of the Process, Disappointed in the Result
Larkin and his supporters gathered at Señor Pancho’s, disappointed in the results but still proud of the democratic process they had fought for.
“We went from requesting a special election in January, getting over 400 signatures of residents, and earning this election for the voters,” said Larkin. “I’m so proud of the work behind that.”
He thanked his supporters, noting the progress made in “building this party from the ground up” over the past few years. Although Middlebury’s Board of Selectmen has Democratic representation, current Selectman Vance was part of a group of petitioning candidates in this spring’s Middlebury Democratic Town Committee primary, who fell short of the endorsed slate of candidates.
What’s Next
In his victory speech, Shaban cited the timeliness of the nation’s upcoming semiquincentennial.
“Thomas Jefferson was hyper-focused on the ability for people to have their voice in local government, and he found that it was the highest level of being able to make an impact on your community,” Shaban told his supporters. “And here we are, 250 years later, in the experiment.”
Shaban’s term will run through December 6, 2027, and he will be up for re-election during that year’s municipal election cycle.
For now, Shaban will return to his seat, which he has occupied since January, when the Board of Selectmen next convenes on Monday, July 6, at Middlebury Town Hall.
By Evan Triantafilidis
The Southbury Record 