Unk on Fence

The Democratic Town Committee’s (DTC) nominating committee last night unanimously endorsed Andy Campbell, a well-known town attorney with wide experience in local government, for the second selectman’s spot in the 2011 election. But Anthony ​“Unk” DaRos, the incumbent first selectman, is still on the fence. 

DaRos, who has served five terms as first selectman, indicated to about 70 DTC members that he was not yet ready to declare his candidacy for a sixth term in office. So far no one else has stepped up, leading many on the DTC to believe he will eventually declare. 

“I am not going to announce tonight, I will tell you that. But I will say there are a couple of details that have to be straightened out and I want to make sure are in place regardless of what I say or do. I’ll say this that there is still a little bit of disinfectant that has to be stirred around. We are going to take care of that. And also you know I think the town is in good shape.” He did not elaborate on the ​“disinfectant” issue.
 

Toward the end of a brief statement he said there was one aspect to a campaign that might be worth the run. ​“I would just love to see my Republican opponents come up with an alternative to an idea. To any idea, ​“he said. The audience laughed. ​“That would be kinda fun to do that. I don’t want to speculate on what I am going to do but I am telling you that I am not going to do it tonight.”

The Republican Town Committee has endorsed Joy McConnell to run for the first selectman’s job, town government’s top post. Click here to read a story about that.

We caught up with Victor Casella, the chair of the DTC, to ask his response to DaRos’s current position on running.

“I earnestly hope that he declares for first selectman, but it is his choice and his choice alone. I respect that.” DaRos and all other candidates seeking election in 2011 have until July 27 at 4 p.m. to deliver their official papers to the town clerk’s office. On July 26, the DTC will hold its official nominating convention. It is expected that the DTC’s officers will know by then or before that date if DaRos will run. 

Campbell will only become the official candidate after the nominating convention votes on July 26. Anyone seeking the second or first selectman’s position may be nominated from the floor on that night and might be able to win the DTC endorsement.

Campbell and DaRos have known each other from the beginning of DaRos’s first campaign back in July 1997, when they both walked along Knoll Drive meeting residents. Campbell served as a member of the Representative Town Meeting from 1997 to 2003 during DaRos’s first six years in office. He also served as a majority whip and parliamentarian of the RTM. Campbell headed the DTC from 2001 to 2003. When DaRos left office, so did Campbell. DaRos was voted back into office in 2007 and has served ever since. Campbell returned to the RTM this year to fill out an unexpired term of an RTM member who resigned. He has jumped back in, addressing a number of issues currently facing the legislative body. 

Campbell is a graduate of Wesleyan University, where he majored in government, and Washington & Lee University School of Law in Virginia. He has been admitted to practice before the Connecticut and Virginia bars and before the Connecticut federal court. Two years ago he earned a Masters degree in public administration from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.

His law practice focuses on criminal and juvenile cases, tax and land use matters, municipal and education law and general litigation, among other areas. Before becoming a solo practitioner in town in 1996, he was associate counsel and assistant vice president of the Shawmut Bank in Hartford. He lives with his wife and four children in Branford.

Jim Perito, also an attorney and the chair of the DTC’s nominating committee, told the DTC that the nominating committee met Monday and selected Campbell as their unanimous choice for second selectman. The decision came after several rounds of votes. Among those in contention were Chris Sullivan, who chairs the RTM’s Rules and Ordinance’s committee, a position Campbell once held, Maggie Bruno, chair of the RTM’s education committee and Catherine Jackson, former chair of the Board of Education. Campbell was also appointed to the DTC last night. 

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