Fairfield Republicans want an election for first selectman. Hwang will seek spot if his party collects 2,500 signatures

“As we mourn the tragic loss of our First Selectman,” Fairfield Republican Town Committee Chair Laura Devlin wrote in a 13- paragraph Sunday email why they need to get busy and collect 2,500 signatures to force an election to fill the vacancy created by that tragic loss. The long email is most notable for a chilling omission: it did not include the late Bill Gerber’s name. Has our politics become so poisonous that Devlin could not bring herself to find a way to include it among the hundreds of words in her untimely polemic?

State Senator Tony Hwang’s grief at Gerber’s sudden death from a brain tumor is not so profound that it prevents him from seeking the job he covets. Hwang will announce Tuesday that he is a candidate for first selectman in a special election–if local Republicans can collect those 2,500 signatures required for an election to fill the vacancy that occurred when Bill Gerber died on July 15th, just two and a half weeks after he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.

Gerber won a surprise victory over incumbent Republican Brenda Kupchik in 2023, defeating the disputatious former state representative by 37 votes. Kupchik, who continues to serve as a member of the board, suffered a stinging embarrassment when Gerber’s administration discovered she had awarded herself $11,000 in severance after voters ousted her but before Gerber took office.

Kupchik has refused to support the other member of the board, Gerber’s successful running mate Christine Vitale, claiming the town charter’s provision for the remaining members of the board to fill the vacancy is “a broken process.” Kupchik said she would prefer the system that allows local elected Democratic officials to decide who will fill the vacancy until the November 2027 election.

Kupchik’s fellow Republicans disagree. They want to use the other option to fill the vacancy, collecting 2,500 signatures from local voters to require an election. They began the process Monday with an email from local party chair Laura Devlin, the 2022 Republican nominee for lieutenant governor. Devlin’s rhetoric feels a bit overheated from someone who if elected in 2022 and required to ascend to the governor’s office in 2024, for example, if some tragedy or promotion had befallen her running mate. There would have been no provision for a special election–that’s why we have a lieutenant governor. Two of them, Bill O’Neill and Jodi Rell became governor under traumatic circumstances, O’Neill when an ailing Governor Grasso resigned in 1980 and Rell when felonious John Rowland resigned in 2004 as his impeachment became inevitable.

Fairfield Democrats are ill-suited to make the case that a special election ought not be held. In 2017, they bobbled a bid to hold a special election after a vacancy created by a Republican resignation on the selectman board had been filled. They will, however, be able to run a campaign for Acting First Selectman Christine Vitale as Bill Gerber’s choice. Vale was Gerber’s winning running mate in the 2023 election.

Devlin told party activists in her email:

Thirty days have passed; a successor has not been appointed.  We cannot leave this decision to just a few insiders; the time for a Special Election is now.  Why the Voters Should Decide Their Next First Selectman 1. Direct Representation Is the Cornerstone of Democracy The First Selectman is Fairfield’s highest elected official, with broad authority over the town’s budget, public safety, operations, and long-term planning. A vacancy in this position significantly alters the leadership dynamic. Filling it solely through appointment, without public input, shifts the decision from the thousands of voters who call Fairfield home to a small group of insiders. A special election puts the choice back where it belongs: in the hands of the people. 2. The State Statute Exists to Protect Voter Choice Connecticut law allows towns to hold special elections for precisely these situations, preventing a leadership vacuum and maintaining public trust. This is not an extraordinary or disruptive measure; it’s a safeguard specifically provided by the legislature to ensure accountability to voters, not to party caucuses or behind-the-scenes negotiations. 3. Public Confidence in Government Depends on Transparency Without a public vote, the perception of backroom deals or favoritism erodes trust. Citizens are sidelined during a critical leadership transition. By contrast, a special election is open, transparent, and fair; every eligible voter has the chance to weigh in. 4. The Cost Is an Investment in Democratic Legitimacy Yes, a special election may carry a short-term cost, but the long-term value of preserving public faith in our local democracy is far greater. Holding a special election alongside Fairfield’s November municipal elections would minimize expenses. Leaders chosen directly by voters have a stronger mandate to act decisively, and public engagement remains strong. Skipping a special election to cut costs risks fostering mistrust and civic apathy, which are far more costly in the long run. 5. Fairfield’s Decision Will Set a Precedent How we handle this vacancy will shape expectations for years to come. Choosing a special election affirms our community’s commitment to self-government, reinforcing the unanimous decision of the Board of Selectmen to seek Charter reform, so that future vacancies on the Board trigger an automatic election within clear legislative deadlines. We the People Have a Choice to Make Democracy works best when the people, not a handful of party insiders, choose their leaders, especially for the top executive role in town. We, the people, not only have legal authority but also a moral obligation to exercise the state statute that allows for a special election to fill a vacancy in the office of First Selectman. Doing so ensures that our town’s leader enters office with a clear mandate from us, not political insiders, and that Fairfield remains true to its democratic principles. In this moment, Fairfield can either consolidate power in the hands of a few or place it back in the hands of the people. The choice should be clear: let the voters decide.  Stand Up for Voter Choice. Sign the Special Election Petition  To call for a special election, we must collect signatures from 5% of Fairfield’s registered voters within just 15 days. This requires a special petition, and we need your help to make it happen. You can get involved by:Circulating a petition among friends, neighbors, and colleaguesHelping at signature collection drives (locations to be announced)Signing the petition yourselfPlease note: signatures must be collected in the old-fashioned way, an actual signature on a paper petition form, not electronically.