LYME–Voters in a rare contested race for first selectman have endorsed the ideals of volunteerism, collaboration and consensus with the election of Democrat-supported unaffiliated candidate Christy Zelek over Republican Tom St. Louis.
Zelek will serve on the Board of Selectpeople with incumbent Democratic Selectman John Kiker and St. Louis.
The decisive victory delivered 710 votes for Zelek compared to St. Louis’ 474, according to unofficial results from the Office of the Secretary of the State.
Since the candidate finishing second in the first selectmen’s race is automatically considered for one of the two remaining selectmen seats, St. Louis earned the spot after finishing third behind Kiker. The incumbent selectman earned 608 votes.
Incumbent Democratic Selectwoman Kristina White, with 218 votes, and Republican Mary Powell-St. Louis, with 429 votes, fell short.
Going back 25 years, only the 2001 and 2017 elections included a challenge for first selectman. This year’s opening emerged after an announcement from current unaffiliated First Selectman David Lahm that he would not be running for another term.
Zelek, an administrative assistant at Westbrook Middle School, said she ran out of a sense of civic duty on a record of volunteerism that includes service on the Lyme Ambulance Association Board of Directors, multiple parent-teacher organizations and the local Boy Scouts.
St. Louis touted experience at Pfizer and four years as an appointed alternate member of the Lyme Planning and Zoning Commission. He ran with the goal of ensuring local control over development amid calls from the state for cities and towns to commit to building more affordable housing.
Republican running mates St. Louis and Powell-St. Louis, who are married, drew criticism from Democrats for potentially putting the town’s leadership in the hands of one family. Democrats were criticized by Republicans for backing a trio of candidates, one of them unaffiliated, that could have resulted in an effective Democratic majority.
Zelek on Tuesday night did not return a phone call for comment. Instead, the Lyme Democrats sent out a press release with a quote from the first selectman-elect.
“I would like to thank Lyme voters for electing me as your First Selectman; now it’s time to get to work,” Zelek said in the release. “John, Tom and I are going to work together on the Board of Selectmen for Lyme. That’s what we need for our town and our community – people working together. We need that in Lyme and we need that in the world. It starts now.”
Kiker in the release recognized Zelek as the first female first selectman in the town’s history.
“Both Christy and I congratulate Tom St. Louis on his election as Third Selectman and welcome him to the Board of Selectmen,” Kiker said.
St. Louis in a phone interview Tuesday night described the race as hard fought.
“I think all the candidates put in what they could,” he said. “Mary and I did our best to get around town and meet with people and hear about their concerns, and their worries, and their hopes for the town of Lyme.”
He wished Zelek the best as first selectman and said he looks forward to serving the town as a selectman.
“I will bring all those concerns and considerations and hopes to bear in the fulfillment of my duties,” he said.
He said maintaining local control over development decisions is an issue he will raise with his fellow selectmen.
“To me it’s still a concern I’ve heard from the folks, and I hope to make sure the Board of Selectmen takes that into consideration: that we engage early on with state legislators and with partner towns,” he said.
Among other pressing concerns identified by St. Louis is the “newfound urgency” stemming from recent talks about potential renovations to the town’s two fire stations.
“It’s going to be a big dollar issue the town is going to have to face and find a way to finance,” he said. “And we need to find what the right solution is.”
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to correct Lahm’s affiliation.
