COVENTRY — Republicans took control of the Town Council and Board of Education in Tuesday’s election in a tight race that followed a contentious campaign season. The win shifts the 4-3 Democratic majority to a 4-3 Republican majority on both boards. Turnout was high with 3,495 votes cast, at nearly 40 percent.

 

Coventry Republican Town Chairman Matthew O’Brien Jr., who sparked controversy with a speech he gave at a political rally in Southington, received 1,567 votes in his bid for council, edging out Democratic newcomer Sandye Simon by 15 votes and Democratic incumbent Carolyn Arabolos by 36 votes.

 

O’Brien Jr. will join his father, Matthew O’Brien Sr., on the council, who was re-elected with 1,582 votes. Celebrating with fellow Republicans at Coventry Pizza, O’Brien Jr. said his top priority is to keep taxes and the town’s debt as low as possible and listen to his constituents. He said voters’ switch to a Republican-controlled council was a reaction to what is going on at the state level with the Democratic Party and governor.
 

“We are seeing right now the Lamont administration not listening to the voters, trying to implement tolls and pushing all these new taxes on citizens,” he said. “As much as the Democrats don’t want to be tied to the state Democrats they are.”
Leading the election for the council with overall votes was Republican Julie Blanchard who received 1,794 votes.
Asked what her top priority is moving forward, she said maintaining the town’s facilities and roads while improving the recreation fields. She added also she would be looking for efficiencies in the budget.

Joining Blanchard, O’Brien Jr., and O’Brien Sr. on the Republican side of the council is newcomer Richard L. Williams Jr., who received 1,611 votes. The three Democrats elected to the council Tuesday are Lisa D. Thomas, who previously served on the council, with 1,652 votes, incumbent Lisa Conant who received the highest number of votes for the Democrats with 1,660, and Jonathan Hand who received 1,613 votes. Conant said she was concerned about O’Brien Jr.’s election to the council.
“We just had someone speak in the audience of citizens at the last council meeting who was concerned as a Jewish woman about the rhetoric pushed forward by Mr. O’Brien,” she said. “I will wait and see what his actions will be as an elected official. I hope that it changes.” Thomas said she also disagreed with O’Brien’s rhetoric. Her priority on the council is to continue to have a budget that suits the needs of the town.

Michael and Kelly Sobol, Republican members of the Town Council and Board of Education respectively, who were not endorsed by the Republican Town Committee for re-election, lost their re-election bid as unaffiliated candidates.
“Both Kelly and I are proud of the campaign we have run,” Michael Sobol said Tuesday at Dimitris, where Democrats gathered to receive results. “While we are disappointed in the result on our behalf we still pulled in nearly 50 percent of the votes that the rest of the parties pulled in. We have no campaign funds and no party affiliation and are running ourselves.”
 

Michael Sobol received 813 votes and Kelly Sobol 741 in their races for council and school board, respectively.
On the school board, incumbent Democrat Jennifer Beausoleil was the top vote-getter with 1,725 votes.
Asked about the shift to a Republican controlled school board, Beausoleil said she hoped the candidates elected to serve have the best interests of students in mind.

Other incumbents returning to the school board are Democrats Eugene Marchand and Mary S. Kortmann, and Republican William Oros. Oros beat Democrat Sean Gallagher by three votes receiving 1,559 votes. Joining Oros are Republican newcomers Robert Williams, Christina Williams, and Barbara Pare. Pare said her top priority is school safety, saying it as an evolving issue.