Tag Archives: John Mesham

TOP STORY: Old Lyme First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker Retains Seat in 2023 Repeat

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First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker on Tuesday night said she was excited to be reelected.

OLD LYME–Incumbent Democratic First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker held onto her seat in a virtual repeat of her 2023 run against Republican John Mesham despite a changed voting landscape that stretched out through an additional two weeks of early voting. 

At least 60% of registered voters turned out to vote, based on preliminary totals from Election Day and early voting. 

Unofficial numbers tallied at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School on Tuesday night gave the victory to Shoemaker with 1,938 votes to Mesham’s 1,808, a difference of 130 votes. Two years ago, the retired teacher beat the retired Connecticut state trooper by 123 votes, with 59% of voters turning out. 

But this time, Mesham’s finish was strong enough to earn him a seat on the Board of Selectmen. That’s because the candidate finishing second in the first selectman race is automatically considered for one of the two remaining selectmen positions. 

Mesham beat out incumbent Republican Jude Read, who earned 1,795 voters, to earn a seat alongside incumbent Democrat Jim Lampos, who collected 1,947. 

Election Day tallies from the main polling precinct at Lyme-Old Lyme Middle School looked strong for Republicans in almost every race when results came back shortly after 8 p.m. But after early voting, absentee and same day registration votes counted separately at the Town Hall were announced by Deputy Registrar of Voters Katherine Thuma, the results swung in the Democrats’ favor. 

Thuma earlier on Tuesday said turnout over the 14-day early voting period consisted of 675 Democrats, 461 unaffiliated voters, 402 Republicans and 15 minor party voters. 

She said there’s a total of 6,250 registered voters in town, including 2,546 unaffiliated voters, 1,963 Democrats, 1,644 Republicans and 97 minor party voters.

Shoemaker at the Town Hall after the results came in attributed her win to “hard work, excellent service in the Town Hall, and the ability for people to have their voices heard.” 

The first selectwoman campaigned on a record that included overseeing flooding fixes in multiple shoreline sites and opening up the budget planning process to public scrutiny. 

She cited pressing issues she’ll be focusing on including a referendum on the Sound View sewer project that is likely to happen in January, as well as the completion of the Grassy Hill Road Bridge project. 

She said she and Lampos are honored to continue serving the town, and she will be happy to serve with Mesham. 

“Hopefully the three of us will be able to do wonderful things for Old Lyme,” she said. 

Republican John Mesham will serve on the Board of Selectmen with two Democrats: First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker and incumbent Selectman Jim Lampos.

Mesham in a phone call Tuesday evening acknowledged his team came up short despite a hard fought campaign.

He expressed surprise at the “the disparity” that gave Democrats the win despite Republicans’ strong showing on Election Day.

He said Republicans focused on early voting through absentee ballots, which yielded improved results over the previous municipal election. 

He acknowledged it’s Democrats who tend to favor coming out during the 14-day early voting period.

“We knew that Republicans would vote strong on Election Day, and we really focused on getting a turnout today. And that worked,” he said.

The Republican campaign was energized by a groundswell of opposition to a plan from the Halls Road Improvements Committee, which was forwarded to the Zoning Commission by the Board of Selectmen, that could have allowed hundreds of apartments to be built on the commercially-zoned Halls Road.

They also called out Shoemaker for the $250 fine from the state Freedom of Information Commission that she paid after FOIC members agreed with a complaint from the Connecticut Examiner that she withheld public records related to alleged sexual misconduct at the local ambulance association. 

Mesham was skeptical when asked about priorities he’d like to bring before the Board of Selectmen when he’s sworn in two weeks from now. 

“It’s hard for me to bring priorities because I’m the minority,” he said of his status among the two incumbent Democrats. “They’ve pretty much had a history of blocking Jude (Read) out, so we’ll see what happens.” 

Shoemaker, a retired 35-year teacher and 12-year union president, was selectwoman from 2021-23 before being elected first selectwoman. She did not run for reelection on the Region 18 Board of Education, where she is finishing her second term. 

Mesham, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, retired from the Connecticut State Police in 2020 as a master sergeant after 29 years in law enforcement. He is a member of the Inland Wetlands Commission and a deputy registrar of voters.

Shoemaker Wins Top Spot in Old Lyme, Lampos and Mesham Join Her on Board of Selectmen

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Martha Shoemaker. LymeLine file photo.

OLD LYME—In unconfirmed results, incumbent Democrat Martha Shoemaker held her First Selectwoman seat fighting off a strong campiagn by Republican challenger John Mesham. Shoemaker’s running mate Jim Lampos also held his seat and the third seat on the board will be taken by Mesham. Jude Read (R) lost her seat as a Selectwoman.

We do not yet have any detailed numbers on the Selectmen’s race nor results from any of the other races. We will share them as soon as we receive them.

Letter to the Editor: Former First Selectman Griswold Endorses Mesham, Read for Old Lyme Board of Selectmen

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To the Editor:

Having served as your First Selectman for 18 years, as member of the Board of Finance for 15 years and currently as a member of the Board of Assessment Appeals for 12 years, I am proud to whole heartedly endorse John Mesham to be our next First Selectman and Jude Read to continue as our Selectwoman. Both John and Jude are extremely well qualified to lead our Town.

John has been deeply involved in our community for decades as a State Police Officer, a Boy Scout Leader, a member of the Inland Wetlands Commission and a Deputy Registrar of Voters.  He and his wife Nancy have resided in Old Lyme for 31 years and their three children have graduated from our outstanding Lyme/Old Lyme schools. John is a proven leader and manager and he is a person of impeccable integrity. John has been a key leader in supporting the Town’s right to access our Tantummaheag Landing, a leader in the fight to stop the HROD debacle, and played a vital role in bringing Town commissions together to oversee the Horseneck Creek Open Space parcel. John has significant supervisory and management experience of multiple state police barracks and personnel. His responsibilities included day-to-day management and oversight of over 100 people. This included scheduling, performance reviews, facilities management, vehicle assignments and upkeep, and a multitude of reporting requirements.  John was also a local police union president with collective bargaining and negotiating experience. John knows how to manage people and is dedicated to supporting the needs and wishes of the majority of Old Lyme’s citizens.  These skills and attributes make John the ideal First Selectman choice for Old Lyme in November.

Jude has resided in Old Lyme for 43 years, along with her husband, Sloan Danenhower, and both of their children graduated from our Lyme/Old Lyme schools.  Jude has owned several small business and she is currently a business management consultant.  She is deeply involved in Old Lyme, both politically and with local non-profits.  She currently serves as one of the three members of the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen.  She also served on the Board of Finance and the Lyme/Old Lyme Board of Education. She is a member and past Treasurer of the MacCurdy Salisbury Educational Foundation and has been a Board member of the Old Lyme Historical Society.  She has been affiliated with the Girl Scouts and the Lymes’ Senior Center Meals on Wheels program.

John and Jude are willing and able to serve as our First Selectman and Selectwoman and they have excellent credentials to do so.

Please join me in voting for John Mesham as our First Selectman and Jude Read as our Selectwoman in the upcoming municipal election and please encourage your family and friends to do the same.

Sincerely,

Timothy Griswold,
Old Lyme.

Editor’s Note: The author is a candidate for the Old Lyme Board of Assessment Appeals in the upcoming election.

Letter to the Editor: Response by Then-Selectwoman Shoemaker Leads to Support for her Current First Selectman Challenger, Mesham

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To the Editor:

“A paltry stipend” that is paid to an elected official should not determine whether that official answers a phone call from his constituent: yet this is the thinking of the current “CEO” of Old Lyme. When needing some help with a town road flooding problem approximately two years ago, this was the response I received [from then-Selectwoman Shoemaker] which ran counter to everything I thought an elected official should do or say.

I will be voting for Mr. Mesham and not for the present office holder whose philosophy totally contradicts my seemingly naive and idealistic view of what a public servant should be.

I urge other Old Lymers to do the same.

Sincerely,

Alice Burbank,
Old Lyme.

TOP STORY: Old Lyme Republicans Announce Nomination of John Mesham in Rematch for First Selectman

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The Republican candidate for Old Lyme First Selectman is John Mesham. His running mate is incumbent Selectwoman Jude Danenhower Read (R), who is running again for the same position. Photo submitted.

OLD LYME–This year’s race for Old Lyme First Selectman will be a rematch between incumbent Democrat Martha Shoemaker and Republican John Mesham. 

The Republican Town Committee this week announced Mesham’s candidacy as part of a slate of candidates endorsed Tuesday at their new headquarters on Halls Road. 

John Mesham

Mesham, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, retired from the Connecticut State Police in 2020 as a master sergeant after 29 years in law enforcement. He is a member of the Inland Wetlands Commission and a deputy registrar of voters. 

The Republicans in a press release described Mesham as an experienced leader with “impeccable integrity” and proven management skills. 

“John will also bring much needed ethical standards and transparency back to leadership in Town Hall,” the party said. 

The victory in 2023 went to Shoemaker with 51.8% majority. She brought in 1,820 votes compared to Mesham’s 1,697. 

Along with Mesham, incumbent Republican Jude Danenhower Read will run for reelection to the three-member Board of Selectmen as they work to reverse the current Democratic majority. 

The Republicans said Mesham and Read were instrumental in resisting unpopular initiatives during Shoemaker’s term, including a plan from the Halls Road Improvements Committee to reenvision the commercial strip as a mix of apartments and businesses. 

Selectmen late last year voted 2-1, with Read opposed, to send the plan for the Halls Road Overlay District (HROD) to the Zoning Commission. It was rejected in a 4-1 vote by the commission after hours of testimony at a public hearing in front of 550 people, with more waiting in the wings of the Lyme-Old Lyme High School auditorium. 

“Together, John and Jude have forged relationships across partisan lines in Old Lyme including open and collaborative relationships with Democrats and unaffiliated voters in our town,” the party said. 

Jude Danenhower Read

The Republicans credited Mesham and Read with spearheading opposition “to back door land deals on access to Tantummaheag Landing” as part of a years-long dispute over the ownership of a spit of land bisecting a Tantummaheag Road property. The town going back to previous First Selectman Tim Griswold’s tenure has claimed ownership of the landing amid opposition from the owner, a prominent lawyer and government official with more than a half century of experience, who has signaled his intent to take the case to federal court. 

Republican Town Committee Chairman Randy Nixon in an email said a majority of committee members voted to endorse the slate of candidates, which was recommended by its nomination committee.

In response to a request for an interview with Mesham, Nixon said he would have the candidate reach out next week.

The party’s platform includes maintaining the semi-rural character of Old Lyme; fiscal prudence; control over land use decisions in town; resident access to water through town land; high quality education; environmental protection and transparency in town government.

The press release, which directed questions to campaign manager Shaun Mastroianni, emphasized the slate includes Republican and unaffiliated candidates, who were selected based on qualifications rather than party – “all of whom stood firmly and actively against HROD and are concerned about key issues affecting the public.”

Mastroianni moved to Old Lyme in 2023 from Stonington, where he was active in local politics. He ran unsuccessfully last year for the state Senate seat held by Martha Marx, D-New London.

The following candidates were endorsed with Mesham and Read for the November election: (*incumbent)

Town Clerk – Vicki Urbowicz*

Board of Assessment Appeals – Timothy C. Griswold*

Planning Commission – Harold Thompson*, Todd Machnik*

Board of Education – Jarod Bushey, Shaun Mastroianni, Brandy Campbell, Frank Pappalardo

Board of Finance – Matthew Olson*, J. David Kelsey*, John Flick

Board of Finance Alternate – Michael Presti, Maria Corrao Marchant, Bob Antoniac

Zoning Commission – Sloan Danenhower (U), Jane Marsh*

Zoning Board of Appeals – Stephen P. Dix (U)*

Zoning Board of Appeals Alternate – James T. Scott, Jill Pilgrim, Nicholas Fulton

Editor’s Note: The article was updated to correct the vote at the Halls Road zoning meeting and to clarify Nixon’s statement regarding a possible interview with the candidate.