Incumbent First Selectwoman Martha Shoemaker (left to right) is running against Republican John Mesham in Old Lyme, while Republican Tom St. Louis challenges unaffiliated, Democrat-backed candidate Christy Zelek in Lyme.
LYME/OLD LYME–Still making up your mind how to cat your vote? We’ve compiled all our election coverage in one place to help you make an informed decision.
If you haven’t already voted, don’t forget to cast that ballot before the clock runs out. Get the details here.
Read on to explore the candidates and issues through our original reporting, the candidates’ own voices, and perspectives from neighbors across Lyme and Old Lyme.
Democratic Registrar of Voters Dottie Wells checks in voters during early voting in Lyme Town Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 28.
LYME, CT—Resident Michael Tuccio was among a small surge of Wednesday afternoon voters, who came through the typically quiet voting area set up in Lyme Town Hall’s main meeting room since Oct. 20.
By the time he got there, election officials said voters had cast 335 ballots as part of the two-week early voting period. Combined with 31 absentee ballots, that amounts to about 19% of the town’s 1,932 registered voters.
Tuccio said casting a ballot through the early voting process, which was instituted last year to give voters two weeks to vote prior to Election Day, is not notably different from voting on Election Day.
Last year’s presidential election saw 497 early votes in total, according to data from the Office of the Secretary of the State.
“It’s just kind of normal,” he said, comparing this year to a lifetime of voting that he considers everyone’s civic duty.
The continuity is important to Tuccio, who said his preference is for things to stay the same. That’s why he said he supports candidates, who will reject residential development in the face of state efforts to promote affordable housing.
“I’m just staunchly opposed to change in general,” he said.
That’s not to say there aren’t procedural differences when it comes to voting early.
As part of the mid afternoon burst of activity, Tuccio and the other voters checked in with Democratic Registrar of Voters Dottie Wells to receive a ballot and an envelope.
The line grew to include several people at times during the two o’clock hour. It was a change from the slower and more sporadic trickle that had dominated early voting for the prior eight days.
“We’re getting a little rush here,” Wells said. “This is very exciting.”
Each voter was directed to one of the privacy booths to fill out the ballot envelope, seal it and sign it before handing it to Republican Registrar of Voters Judith Davies to be scanned into the system. Voters were instructed to drop the envelopes in the holding box, where they would remain until being transported to the town clerk’s vault at the end of the day.
Republican Registrar of Voters Judith Davies (right) and Democratic Moderator Mary Stone await the next early voter in Lyme Town Hall.
Davies described “an elaborate process” for getting the ballots to the town clerk that includes both registrars to ensure the proper chain of custody. The ballots stay in the vault until Election Day, when they will be counted by poll workers from both parties in the same process used for absentee ballots.
Davies, a 7-year registrar of voters, and Wells, who’s been in the role for 2.5 years, each work 12 of the 14-day early voting schedule. The days run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Nov. 2, except for two elongated 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. shifts. One of those extended shifts was Wednesday; the next is Thursday.
Davies said the three-person shifts include both registrars – or an assistant registrar if Wells or Davies have the day off – and one moderator. Registrars make an hourly rate of $22, while moderators and poll workers make about $17.
“It’s long hours, but we’re happy to be here because obviously voting is important,” she said.
She credited a team of 15 poll workers, including four moderators, for making the job an enjoyable experience from early voting through Election Day. The team consists of experienced workers as well as new additions this year.
Davies counted weekends as the slowest period, with 22 voters on Saturday and 16 on Sunday. She said poll workers sometimes read or knit during down time that can extend to an hour at times.
Moderator Mary Stone is scheduled for six days of early voting. She said it’s been good to see the turnout from voters, who are grateful for the opportunity to vote early – and to more easily find a place to park at the Town Hall.
“By and large, they’re overwhelmingly appreciative,” she said. “They appreciate avoiding the crowds on Election Day.”
For Tuccio, Wednesday afternoon was a convenient day to vote on his way home from work. He saw others, who found early voting convenient because the less hectic pace suits their age or level of mobility.
He said the extended calendar enhances the experience for voters.
The U.S. Marine Corps veteran counted liberty as one of his guiding principles.
It doesn’t matter who you vote for, according to Tuccio – “it matters that you vote.”
As Lyme’s representatives on the Board of Education, we are proud to endorse Christy Zelek for selectperson.
In our work representing the citizens of Lyme and supporting the students, teachers, and staff of Region 18, we know firsthand the value of thoughtful, steady leadership. Christy embodies those qualities. Though endorsed by the Lyme DTC (and we are both Democrats), Christy is a lifelong independent who consistently puts community above politics. She brings a practical, cooperative spirit that Lyme needs in its local government.
Christy’s long record of volunteerism in our schools and with local Scouts reflects her deep commitment to Lyme’s families. She understands that strong schools are the heart of a strong town, and she will continue to champion the values that make Lyme such a special place to live and learn.
Above all, Christy is a uniter. She listens carefully, builds consensus, and approaches challenges with integrity, accountability, and kindness. These are the traits that make effective public servants—and great role models for our youth.
We look forward to working with Christy to strengthen our schools, our community, and our shared future.
Christy Zelek, an unaffiliated candidate running with support of the Lyme Democrats, is facing off against Republican Tom St. Louis in the race for Lyme first selectman.
LYME–In a rare contested race for the town’s top office, a retired pharmaceutical manager intent on keeping zoning decisions local faces a political newcomer emphasizing collaboration and consensus.
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 Republican First Selectman David Lahm that he would not be running for another term.
Republican-endorsed First Selectman candidate Tom St. Louis, who appears on the ballot with wife and (also Republican-endorsed) selectman candidate Mary Powell-St. Louis, brings experience from a career at Pfizer and four years as an appointed alternate member of the Lyme Planning and Zoning Commission.
He said managing budgets and staff while building a professional network has prepared him to focus on his main priority: ensuring development decisions stay in local hands as the state calls for more affordable housing.
“If we don’t have control over how we use land in town, the very fabric of Lyme is at risk,” he said.
Democrat-supported unaffiliated candidate Christy Zelek said she is running out of a sense of civic duty on a record of volunteerism, including service on the Lyme Ambulance Association Board of Directors, multiple parent-teacher organizations and the local Boy Scouts.
Zelek works as an administrative assistant at Westbrook Middle School.
She described herself as “people oriented,” an attribute she said sets her apart from the corporate experience St. Louis has made a pillar of his campaign platform.
“I just listen to what everyone has to say, and I don’t go in with my set of ideas and push them through,” she said.
Zelek appears on the ballot as a petitioning candidate and is running with the support of the Lyme Democratic Town Committee (DTC). The Democrats have also gotten behind incumbent selectmen John Kiker and Kristina White.
Due to state minority representation law prohibiting more than two members of any political party from serving on the three-member Board of Selectman, Kiker is once again running as the DTC-endorsed candidate while White petitions for a seat.
The candidate, who finishes second in the first selectman race, is automatically considered for one of the two remaining selectmen seats. Those two seats are filled by the next highest vote-getters overall, in accordance with Connecticut’s minority representation rules.
The potential makeup of the Board of Selectpeople includes notable combinations this election season. It could end up in the hands of a trio of Democrat-supported candidates; It could also result in a husband-and-wife Republican majority.
Both candidates are seeking elected office for the first time. St. Louis ran for a Board of Finance alternate position in 2021 but lost to Democrat Jim Miller.
Prepared to ‘Go it Alone’
St. Louis in an interview at the Lyme Public Library earlier this month said he is a 27-year resident active in coaching, Scouting, and local organizations. He worked as an engineer and in management at Pfizer for 37 years before retiring in 2023.
He and Powell-St. Louis have three sons between the ages of 23 and 17.
He cited budget oversight, personnel management, and strategic planning as key skills he would bring to the position of local CEO.
“The town budget is about $12 million, roughly,” he said. “That’s fairly consistent with the size of the teams that I was managing for the last 12 years of my career at Pfizer.”
Experience on the Planning and Zoning Commission gave him familiarity with town operations and how land is used in town. It’s also where he learned earlier this year about the local implications of a comprehensive affordable housing bill that made it through the state House and Senate before it was vetoed by Gov. Ned Lamont.
Among the provisions in the failed bill was the “fair share” framework, which would have required municipalities to plan for a prescribed number of affordable housing units within their borders. Data from the state Office of Policy and Management shows projections call for somewhere between 122 and 346 affordable housing units in Lyme, depending on the variables.
The CT Mirror reported the subject is likely to show up in a special session of the state General Assembly slated for Nov. 12 and 13.
He said the bill takes control of zoning decisions away from the town.
He suggested one way to address the problem is to form alliances with other small towns similar to Lyme – like Redding in the southwest corner or several towns in the northeast – that share more in common with Lyme than its immediate neighbors.
Another way to defy the state mandate is to accept the consequences, according to St. Louis. That means forfeiting eligibility for many types of state funding if the town refuses to make progress on affordable housing.
The “fair share” provision of the housing bill rewards participating towns by giving them priority access to state grants, including those offered through the Small Town Economic Assistance Program (STEAP), the Clean Water Act, and the Main Street Investment Fund.
He acknowledged that several major projects on Lyme’s horizon, such as bridge replacements and fire station upgrades, could qualify for those grants.
““You’ve got this situation where Lyme may be reluctant to go after this (fair share) target because it represents such a dramatic change in our land use decisions, but then we would also have to be prepared to essentially go it alone on a revenue piece,” he said.
He emphasized that kind of decision shouldn’t be made unilaterally.
“That’s a pretty important decision that you’re going to need town engagement on,” he said.
He called for revenue diversification to make up for any loss of state funding. That could mean looking at ways to utilize the town’s existing commercial zones more fully without expanding them, and exploring land leases for technologies like solar energy.
“You’re not going to take an open field along a major stretch of road and turn it into a solar farm. There will be zero appetite for that,” he said. “Now, whether or not there are, on our town conservation lands, some areas that, to a great extent, are shielded and would present us the opportunity to do some lease, I think that we would have to engage in a conversation about that.”
He would also explore ways to seek reimbursement from the state to help offset the loss of taxable income on town land conserved as open space.
Husband and Wife
St. Louis acknowledged Democrats have been critical of the Republicans for running a married couple at the top of the ballot. But he said he and his wife have different backgrounds and make their own decisions.
“We’ve been married for 31 years and raised three boys together. But, in that, we have lived very different experiences, actually,” he said.
He pointed to a disagreement at a recent Republican forum on how to deal with the infestation of the invasive plant known as hydrilla that is overtaking the Connecticut River.
The forum was organized by the Republicans after Zelek and the Democrats declined to participate in a debate sponsored by LymeLine and the Greater Old Saybrook of Commerce. When the Democrats declined the Republicans’ forum as well, it was up to St. Louis and Powell-St. Louis to spar among themselves.
“You know, I think it was pretty apparent at the open forum that there are issues that we don’t see eye to eye on, but we can do that and engage in civil conversation, and maybe not influence each other towards the same outcome, but we can have that respectful conversation,” he said.
A Collaborative Approach
Zelek, a 17-year resident of Lyme, has volunteered in leadership positions with the Lyme Ambulance Association — where she was vice president and helped recruit members and secure a new ambulance — as well as the Boy Scouts, multiple parent-teacher organizations, and a high school ‘Safe Grad’ committee.
She spoke to LymeLine earlier this month from an Adirondack chair in her front yard overlooking Tiffany Farm. Multiple drivers over the course of the interview waved or honked their horns as they drove by.
“Anything that I join, I tend to be in a leadership role, from small things to big things,” she said.
Zelek was raised in a military family that settled in Massachusetts when she was 10 years old. She attended Alfred University in New York, where she graduated with a double major in English and communications. She has held jobs in insurance, event planning and real estate, and is employed currently as an independent consultant with the health and wellness company Arbonne in addition to working at Westbrook Schools.
She is divorced with three sons aged 19, 16 and 15.
Knocking on doors at homes across town, she said she’s heard residents’ concerns about traffic, bicyclist safety, and keeping taxes low.
She said attending town board and commission meetings, including the boards of selectpeople, education, finance, and planning and zoning, has shown her those groups play a crucial role in shaping Lyme’s future.
“We have an incredible community of people that have backgrounds that are amazing,” she said. “And it’s such a gift that they’re willing to keep sharing their knowledge and their time.”
Zelek said a growing sense of collaboration has been evident in Lyme lately. She cited examples ranging from the fire department and ambulance company beginning to work more closely, to library leadership engaging the wider community in talking about the impact of loneliness and possible solutions.
“I feel like that’s what we all have to be doing, is working together,” she said.
If elected, Zelek’s top priorities would be enhancing public safety, including safer conditions for bicyclists, and improving communication with residents. She supports a balanced budget and careful spending.
She described herself, like the Scouts she leads, as thrifty.
“I do clip coupons and return my cans,” she said.
Zelek cited her open mind and collaborative approach as the biggest strengths.
“I don’t have an agenda; I really just want to get out and help people come together to get to the solutions that are best for the town,” she said. “I’m not going in thinking I have any one way to do anything. Everybody has a different issue and a different way to come to a solution for issues, but somehow we can come together and maybe not come up with a perfect answer, but a pretty good answer for the majority of the people.”
The Trump Effect
St. Louis recalled meeting people on the campaign trail with people who had little patience for Republicans.
Some of them would shut the door in his face, according to St. Louis. Others would refuse to engage with him unless he denounced President Donald Trump. That’s when he’d tell them he prefers to focus on local issues rather than national politics.
He reiterated his top issue is zoning control, which he described as unrelated to national politics.
“I see it in their eyes that they’re worried about how the national politics might play at the local level,” he said. “ But that’s not why I’ve lived here for 27 years and raised a family here. I love the community and I love the rural aspects and the small town feel of it all. And I just don’t see national concerns playing out in our day-to-day lives here. But I respect that some people do.”
He acknowledged some national issues do hit close to home. He said he disagrees with Trump’s decision to halt the offshore wind projects because of the effect on State Pier in New London, but supports Trump’s recent agreement with Pfizer to expand U.S. investment.
“There are things he says that I’d prefer he not say, but when I look at the actions, I’m trying to look at the local impact here,” he said.
Zelek is among those who have seen national political divisions become more pronounced locally in recent years. But on a personal level, she said she maintains friendships across the political spectrum and values differing views.
The lifelong unaffiliated voter said she votes for the person, not the party.
Asked for her thoughts on Trump, she said she does not believe he is a positive role model for young people.
“He’s not what we’ve taught our children to be,” she said. “And that’s a really simple line for me.”
She counted taking care of others and being kind as ideals she’d like to see instilled in her children.
“If it looks like someone needs help, just reach out,” she said. “Just saying hello, I think, is a huge thing. A simple hello can lead into more of it. And treat people how you want to be treated. I also say repeatedly, ‘the only person you have control over is yourself.’”
In recently mailed campaign literature to Lyme voters promoting their candidates for First Selectman and Selectman, the Republican Town Committee made inaccurate and dishonest comments about Lyme Democrats and the Affordable Housing Commission (AHC).
Republicans are falsely claiming that the “Democratic chaired and controlled” AHC has “called for the creation of a ‘Cluster Overlay Zone’ to accommodate high-density housing in Lyme.”
The AHC does not believe in high-density housing in Lyme. The Commission’s vision is to preserve Lyme’s rural character and maintain autonomy in land use decisions. Few specific decisions have been made yet because AHC has been waiting for Lyme to approve its 2025 Plan of Conservation and Development (PoCD). To date, only a draft is available, but a public hearing will be held on November 12 with a final vote on November 17. (The report-writing subcommittee of the Planning and Zoning Commission is composed of two Republicans and two Democrats.)
Various methods of creating affordable housing have been discussed by AHC. Nothing, with the exception of using accessory apartments built on existing lots (ADUs), already permitted in the zoning code, has been recommended. While AHC supports this concept, to be town-approved affordable housing units, they will have long-term deed restrictions, which owners have refused to accept.
Using an Overlay Zone will not create high-density housing in Lyme. An Overlay is a clearly defined zoning modification that can be used in a selected area for a desired purpose, such as affordable housing. It is applied over an existing zoning district. It is site specific and does not apply to the entire town. Republicans ought to understand what an overlay zone does and how it can benefit our town before they erroneously make accusations.
Why does Lyme have to consider using an overlay? After considering all the costs of a modest house, including: acquiring land, necessary infrastructure, construction, some landscaping, roadway access and dealing with common obstacles such as rock ledge and wetlands, the AHC concluded it is not possible to create affordable housing in Lyme without building more units on selected parcels of land than the current zoning allows. (This would only be done in a limited number of selected areas.)
Lyme’s PoCD respondents want affordable housing for Fire Department and Ambulance workers, teachers and older residents. 57% were 65 years or older.
Incidentally, the low number of Republicans on the AHC could be remedied if more Republicans would volunteer to join the Affordable Housing Commission.
Sincerely,
Phyllis Ross, Lyme, CT.
Editor’s Note: The author is a member of Lyme’s Affordable Housing Commission and Planning and Zoning Commission.
