Incumbents Tim Griswold (First Selectman), Matt Ward (Selectman) Not Seeking Re-election; Griswold Absent From Slate; Ward Running for Town Treasurer; Suzanne Thompson Endorsed for Tax Collector and Region 18 Board of Education

OLD LYME— On Tuesday (July 18) evening, at their Caucus, the Old Lyme Republican Town Committee (RTC) voted-in their slate of candidates for the upcoming 2023 municipal elections.

“Our candidates are all people with extensive and relevant experience for the offices for which they are running. Our committee is proud to endorse them. These candidates were selected because they each have proven track records of public service and community involvement,” said RTC Chairman, Randy Nixon.

Leading the slate of candidates for the position of First Selectman is retired State Trooper John Mesham, a 30-year resident of Old Lyme. 

“I am thrilled by the enthusiastic support of my fellow Republicans,” said Mesham. “I have received many calls of encouragement from unaffiliated voters since announcing my intention to run, so I look forward to a wide base of support in the campaign and election.”

Selectman Candidate Judith Read said, “I thank the Old Lyme RTC for endorsing my candidacy for Selectman! It is humbling to receive such ardent support from my friends, family, and community. I look forward to representing and serving all people of Old Lyme as we help to lead our small town to a positive and exciting future.” 

Read was on the Republican ticket in Nov. 2017 when she campaigned for the First Selectman spot with Chris Kerr as her running mate. The election saw Democrats Bonnie Reemsnyder and Mary Jo Nosal elected respectively to the First and Second Selectman positions while Kerr took the third seat on the board, having polled a higher number of votes than Read.

After deciding not to run for a 10th term, longtime Republican First Selectman Timothy Griswold declared, “We have a great slate of candidates and I feel confident I will be leaving Old Lyme in good hands with the Mesham and Read team at the helm. I know they are committed to fiscal responsibility, excellence in education, and protecting the natural beauty of our town.”

Selectman Matthew Ward, an unaffiliated but Republican-endorsed candidate, decided to not seek re-election after taking a new job opportunity in his trained profession of accounting.

Ward is, however, running for the position of Town Treasurer. “I wanted to stay involved with the town and Treasurer gives me that opportunity while exercising my accounting education,” said Ward, also a retired State Trooper. He added, “I worked with John Mesham for many years and I know his leadership and management will be a great benefit to Old Lyme.”

The Old Lyme Democratic Town Committee meets Wednesday, July 19, at 6 p.m. in Old Lyme’s Memorial Town Hall to caucus and determine their endorsements for the upcoming November election.

The full slate of 2023 endorsed Republican candidates is as follows, with (U) indicating Unaffiliated candidates. All other candidates are registered Republicans.

First Selectman: John Mesham

Selectman: Judith Read

Town Treasurer: Matthew Ward (U)

Tax Collector: Suzanne Thompson

Board of Finance: H. Perry Garvin III

Board of Finance Alternates: Maria Corrao Marchant & Matthew F. Olson

Board of Assessment Appeals: David W. Evers, Jr.

Planning Commission (Term Begins 2023): Barbara Gaudio

Planning Commission (Term Begins 2024): Donald Willis

Zoning Commission (Term Begins 2023): Paul Orzel (U)

Zoning Commission (Term Begins 2024): Tammy Tinnerello

Zoning Board of Appeals (Term Begins 2023): Dan Montano

Zoning Board of Appeals (Term Begins 2024): Nancy Hutchinson (U)

Zoning Board of Appeals Alternates: Roderick Clingman, Peter Lucchese, Brian Cole (U)

Regional Board of Education: Steven Wilson, Suzanne Thompson, Michael Presti

Editor’s Note: The article above is based on a press release issued Tuesday evening by the Old Lyme Republican Town Committee.

OLD LYME – Former Marine, law enforcement officer, and community advocate John Mesham has formally announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination for First Selectman. 

Mesham, father of three, recently retired from a distinguished 29-year career in law enforcement in which he oversaw the daily operations at two of the largest state police barracks, managed police personnel in Old Lyme, developed community programs with municipal governments, and negotiated collective bargaining agreements.

Prior to his career in law enforcement, Mesham was deployed as a Marine infantryman on the USS Iwo Jima and served at Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C. He holds a BS in Criminal Justice from Charter Oak State College.

In addition to managing police personnel in Old Lyme, Mesham, father of Owen, Anna, and Emily, served as a Scoutmaster for 10 years for Troop 26 Lyme & Old Lyme Boy Scouts. He has been married to his wife Nancy for 29 years. Mesham currently serves on the Inland Wetland and Watercourse Commission and was instrumental in the 36-1 Buttonball Committee recommendations to the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen.

In conjunction with Mesham’s announcement, Judith Read, a dedicated public servant, has also announced her intention to seek the Republican nomination for Second Selectman. Read, a small business owner, has nearly two decades of experience serving on the Old Lyme Board of Finance. She also served one term on the Region 18 Board of Education. 

Mother of Megan Overdurff Read and Will (Sloan) Danenhower, Read has lived in Old Lyme for over 40 years, volunteering as a Girl Scout leader and as the Treasurer for the MacCurdy Salisbury Educational Foundation. She currently is a business management consultant, with a specialization in business organization.

Read attended Central Connecticut State College where she studied Business Administration. She has been married to Sloan Danenhower for 40 years.

The prospective Mesham-Read team is focused on continuing fiscal responsibility, supporting Old Lyme senior citizens, maintaining excellence in Region 18 school system, and protecting the natural beauty of Old Lyme.

The Old Lyme Republican Town Committee will caucus on Tuesday, July 18, at 6 p.m. At that meeting, members will select the candidates they wish to endorse for the November 2023 election.

Editor’s Note: The article above is based on a press release issued this morning by the Mesham & Read 2023 campaign.