Many Familiar Faces Endorsed By Enfield Republican Town Committee For Upcoming Election

ENFIELD, CT — The Republican party line on the ballot for November's municipal election will contain a great deal of familiar names, including five current town council members, three Board of Education incumbents and a pair of well-known figures returning to town politics after brief periods of hiatus.

The Enfield Republican Town Committee endorsed its slate of candidates at a caucus Thursday night in the Council Chambers at town hall. In addition to the returning candidates, some political newcomers will also be seeking seats on the town's top two elected bodies.

Heading the ticket is Mayor Ken Nelson Jr., who has served as District 1 councilor since 2022 and previously was an at-large councilor from 2005 to 2013. Bob Hendrickson is also looking to retain the District 4 seat he won in 2023.

Retired police chief and former at-large councilor Carl Sferrazza returns to the battle as the District 3 council candidate, while Bob Gillespie will challenge to represent District 2.

Deputy Mayor Marie Pyznar and Lori Unghire seek to retain their at-large seats. Jeffrey Rousseau, currently the District 3 councilor, is also making an at-large bid, as is State Rep. Carol Hall, who has represented the 59th House District since 2017.

ERTC chair Kelly Hemmeler said longtime at-large councilor Mike Ludwick did not seek re-election.

"I would like to thank everyone for the opportunity," Nelson told Patch following the caucus. "I think the Republicans have a very strong slate. We ran last year on promises, and we kept them. We moved the education forward after the $6 million deficit. We inherited giving the Board of Education more money in two years than the town of Enfield has ever done. Next year, Enfield faces another revaluation, and without a fiscally-responsible council to make the tough decisions, the residents of Enfield could be facing a large tax increase, like they did in 2023 under the Democratic majority. We have a long way to go in Enfield."

In the Board of Education race, incumbents Janet Cushman, Philip Kober and Dean Gousse will be joined on the ballot by Rob Anderson and Theresa Meyer. School board chair Charlotte Riley and board member Jean Acree did not seek another term, according to Hemmeler.

"I believe we have strong teams for both the Town Council and the Board of Education," Hemmeler said. "Most of our Town Council candidates are experienced incumbents who will hit the ground running to keep Enfield moving forward. The Board of Education candidates are a mix of incumbents and freshman members, which will bring a new perspective to the board."

Election Day is Nov. 4.