Norwalk Republicans Endorse Full Slate, Including Mayoral and Board of Ed Candidates

NORWALK, Conn. — The Norwalk Republican Town Committee has officially endorsed a full slate of candidates for the 2025 municipal election, including longtime resident and business owner Vinny Scicchitano for mayor. The endorsements were finalized at the RTC convention held July 15 at the Norwalk Inn.

Scicchitano, who also received the Republican endorsement in 2023, was nominated by Maria Borges Lopez, who praised his commitment to the community and his practical vision for the city.

“Vinny is more than just a candidate. He listens. He shows up. He follows through. He is someone who speaks with compassion but acts with purpose,” she said. Doug Hempstead seconded the nomination, calling Scicchitano a problem-solver who “will listen, figure out how to fix it, and do it with passion and with heart.”

When the vote was called, nearly every hand in the room went up in support of Scicchitano’s candidacy, an overwhelming show of unity from the party.

In his acceptance speech, Scicchitano emphasized affordability, school funding reform, and smart development as his top priorities. He pledged to restore transparency to City Hall and emphasized that he is “not a politician,” but a candidate “to bring unity and representation to all residents.”

Board of Education: Competitive Field Draws Buzz

The most contentious portion of the evening came during nominations for the four at-large Board of Education seats. A total of five candidates were put forward, prompting a written ballot vote, an uncommon step at local conventions, which are often settled by voice vote or acclamation.

Nominated were Artie Kassimis, nonprofit program director Tricia Massucco, STEM educator Xavier Guzman, Independent Party affiliates Alex Kemeny, and Nicole Hampton. Ultimately, Kemeny did not receive enough votes to secure the endorsement.

Some attendees had questions ahead of the convention about whether cross-endorsing a non-Republican candidate, such as Kemeny, would violate party bylaws. Several RTC members clarified during discussions that cross-endorsements with the Independent Party have precedent, mirroring Democratic partnerships with the Working Families Party.

In the end, the tellers reported the top four vote-getters as Massucco, Guzman, Kassimis, and Hampton, who were formally endorsed.

Candidate speeches emphasized transparency, collaboration, and the need to prioritize students and educators. Supporters highlighted Kassimis’ experience, Guzman’s education and tech background, Massucco’s extensive record in youth programming, and Hampton’s appeal to younger voters.

Despite some disagreement over the process, the vote was conducted without disruption, and the results were accepted by the committee.

Full List of Endorsed Candidates:

Mayor

• Vinny Scicchitano

Town Clerk

• Rick McQuaid

City Sheriff

• John Henderson

Common Council At-Large

• Victor Coppola
• Enrique Santiago
• Greg Helms (placeholder)
• Luis Estrella
• Steve Cenatiempo Jr.

Board of Education At-Large

• Tricia Massucco
• Xavier Guzman
• Artie Kassimis
• Nicole Hampton (unaffiliated)

Constable

• Ray A. Cooke
• Peter Bondi
• Jay Parisi
• Greg Helms

District-Specific Endorsements

District A
Common Council: Peter Rotondo, Cheryl Kemeny

First Taxing District:

• Commissioner: Trish Massucco
• Treasurer: John Miller

District B
Common Council: Kimberly Krieger, Harold Bonnet

Second Taxing District:

• Commissioner: Luigi DiMeglio
• Treasurer: Thomas Henderson

District C
Common Council: Read Auerbach, Richard Bonenfant

Third Taxing District:

• Commissioner: James Anderson
• Treasurer: Read Auerbach

District D
Common Council: John Levin, Heather Dunn (Independent)

District E
Common Council: Peter Bondi, Andrew Anello
Sixth Taxing District:

• Commissioner: J. Alex Sparkman
• Treasurer: Gilbert S. Kernan

At the close of the convention, RTC leadership urged attendees to back their mayoral candidate not only with votes, but with volunteer hours and campaign contributions.

“Please give him money,” Chairman Fred Wilms said, adding that the RTC plans to spend its full $4,000 war chest supporting endorsed candidates. “All of it’s going to help our candidates.”