FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. The author believes all information below is true and correct. A caucus is governed by law and regulation, so any errors contained below will NOT bind the conduct of the caucus.
On Monday, July 24, at 8 pm, Ridgefield Democrats will caucus to nominate candidates for the local fall elections. Every citizen registered as a Democrat in the Town of Ridgefield is eligible to participate in the caucus.
Prior to a caucus, the Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee (“DTC”) typically endorses a slate of potential candidates for presentation to the caucus; potential candidates may also be proposed by any participant from the caucus floor. The assembled caucus participants then vote on all presented candidates — both the DTC’s endorsed slate and any prospective candidates proposed from the floor — to determine the officially nominated slate. (Following a caucus, registered members of a party may petition to require a primary election in order to replace some or all of the candidates nominated at the party’s caucus).
Owing to legal limits on the maximum number of seats any single party may hold on a given board, the number of seats a party may contest in an election may be less than the number of seats up for election. At the caucus on July 24, 2017, Ridgefield Democrats may nominate candidates for the following offices:
- BOARD OF FINANCE
- 5-member board
- 3 seats up for election in 2017:
- 1 currently held by a Democrat
- 2 currently held by Republicans
- Democrats can run up to 2
- Democrats must win at least 1 seat to maintain majority
- BOARD OF EDUCATION
- 9-member board
- 6 seats up for election in 2017:
- 3 currently held by Democrats
- 3 currently held by Republicans
- Democrats can run up to 5
- Democrats must win at least 4 seats to gain a majority
- PLANNING & ZONING BOARD
- 9-member board
- 6 seats up for election in 2017:
- 2 currently held by Democrats
- 4 currently held by Republicans
- Democrats can run up to 5
- Democrats must win at least 4 seats to gain a majority
- ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS
- 5-member board w/ 3 Alternates
- 2 Member seats and 2 Alternate seats up for election in 2017:
- 2 Member seats currently held by Republicans
- 1 Alternate seat currently held by a Democrat
- 1 Alternate seat currently held by a Republican
- Democrats can run up to 2 for Member seats and up to 2 for Alternate seats
- Democrats must win: 2 Member seats to gain Member majority; 2 Alternate seats to gain Alternate majority
- BOARD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS
- 5-member board
- 3 seats up for election in 2017, all currently held by Republicans
- Democrats can run up to 3
- Democrats must win at least 2 seats to gain a majority
- BOARD OF ASSESSMENT APPEALS
- 3-member board
- 2 seats up for election in 2017
- 1 currently held by a Democrat
- 1 currently held by a Republican
- Democrats can run up to 2
- Democrats must win at least 2 seats to gain a majority