No Change in Old Lyme Votes for Board of Finance Alternates After Recount; Behringer (U), Walsh (D) and Marchant (R) Elected

OLD LYME—Wednesday’s election recount held at Memorial Town Hall saw all the results come back identical to last week’s election results.

There was no recount in the contest for the board of selectmen since Republican Jude Danenhower Read waived her right to a recount. although she was within the 20 votes of fellow Republican John Mesham that the state mandates must generate a recount.

The recount, which did take place, was for the Board of Finance Alternates. With each candidate’s count coming in exactly the same as on Election Day, the results stood as follows and the candidates elected are shown in bold.

Tom Walsh (D): 1955
Fred Behringer (U-Democrat endorsed): 1967
Diane Y. Linderman (D): 1948
Michael Presti (R): 1681
Bob Antoniac (R): 1632
Maria Corrao Marchant (R): 1687

The Democrats made a case that the top three vote-getters—Walsh, Behringer and Linderman—should all be elected since Behringer was Unaffiliated and endorsed by the Forward Party, thus giving the slate its minority representation.

But, after seeking legal advice from Town Attorney Kristi Kelly, Old Lyme Town Clerk Vicki Urbowicz determined that, due to Behringer being endorsed by the Democrats and appearing on the Democrat line (the Forward Party did not have its own line on the Nov. 4 ballot), minority representation rules required that Republican Maria Corrao Marchant should be seated along with Behringer and Walsh.