LYME–On Saturday, Oct. 4, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Republican Town Committee (RTC) will host an Open Candidate Forum at the Lyme Public Library while the Democratic Town Committee knocks on doors.
Republican Town Committee member and First Selectman candidate Tom St. Louis in a Monday email said the candidate forum is open “to any and all municipal candidates and Lyme voters.”
The Republicans said Town Engineer Don Gerber will moderate the forum.
The race for first selectman, which is contested for the first time since 2017, pits St. Louis against Democratic Town Committee-endorsed unaffiliated candidate Christy Zelek.
Selectmen candidates are Republican Mary Powell-St. Louis, who is Tom St. Louis’ wife, and incumbent Democrats John Kiker and Kristina White. White is running as a petitioning candidate with the Democratic endorsement.
The Democrats and Democrat-endorsed candidates running for the Board of Selectmen will not be participating in the Republicans’ forum, according to a letter from Kiker to forum organizer Stephen Buccheri. Kiker also serves as the DTC chairman.
Kiker said they’ll be knocking on doors instead.
“This way of reaching out to and connecting personally with Lyme residents is important to our candidates and, based on the responses we’ve been receiving, it’s meaningful to voters as well,” he said. “So we are declining your invitation and will continue to focus on creating more opportunities to have these rich, one-on-one conversations with constituents.”
The DTC took to social media on Tuesday to inform voters they’ll be making house visits on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“Ask questions. Get answers. Meet the candidates. Talk one-on-one about the issues that matter to you,” the message reads.
The DTC previously declined to participate in a candidates’ forum hosted by LymeLine and the Greater Old Saybrook Chamber of Commerce for the same reason.
The proposed format for the Republican forum includes drawing straws to determine response order, followed by a 3-4 minute introductory statement from each candidate. Questions from the audience will be addressed to an individual or panel response as warranted.
St. Louis in his email to LymeLine said it is unfortunate that the opposing candidates would not participate in an “open public forum,” which he described as much different than one-on-one door knocking.
“Town leaders must be able to make decisions and respond to critical situations…and to stand before their constituents to bear responsibility for actions taken and outcomes realized.”