Fairfield Needs a First Selectman, Not a Self-Promoter

I have been a Republican my entire life, casting my first ballot in 1998. I am not endorsing the Democratic candidate for First Selectman of Fairfield. But I am compelled to speak plainly about why the Republican candidate, Tony Hwang, is unfit to serve in this role.

This judgment is not ideological. It is based on experience.

I first met and worked with Tony Hwang in 2008, when I helped manage his successful campaign for State Representative in the 134th District, representing Trumbull and Fairfield. In the Obama wave election of 2008, Tony Hwang won because Trumbull put him over the top. The following year, when I ran for First Selectman of Trumbull, he offered no assistance—political, financial, or otherwise. His absence was conspicuous. The first time I encountered him during that campaign was on election night, at my victory party.

That pattern—engagement when personally beneficial, disengagement when it is not—has been consistent throughout his public career. Tony Hwang does not financially support other Republican candidates, nor does he meaningfully assist those on his own team. He treats public office like a personal branding exercise, routinely appearing at public events wearing clothing emblazoned with his own name, as if he were promoting a personal clothing line. It may seem like a small thing, but it perfectly captures a larger problem: for him, it is always about the spotlight.

The central issue is not merely ambition. It is narcissism. And narcissism is fundamentally incompatible with effective municipal leadership.

During my tenure as First Selectman, Tony Hwang repeatedly contacted local media to promote ribbon cuttings and press events involving projects within our town—without coordination or notice to my administration. We often learned of these appearances only after they were featured in the newspaper. This was not accidental. It was a deliberate and recurring pattern.

The same dynamic was evident during the recent UI transmission line fight. When Fairfield needed a unified front between state and local leadership, Tony Hwang chose to operate independently. He held meetings without coordination, resisted collaboration, and pursued actions that appeared designed to advance his own political interests rather than the town’s position. As counsel for the Town of Fairfield at that time, I witnessed firsthand how he actively undercut the administration of his fellow Republican, First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick—conduct that conveniently positioned him to run for her job two years later.

In my judgment, Senator Hwang’s conduct during the UI transmission line fight caused real political damage to the Kupchick administration, as Ms. Kupchick was campaigning for re-election to a second term. His public undermining and internal criticism fractured Republican unity at a critical moment and, in a race ultimately decided by just 37 votes, likely made the difference. It was a stark example of his willingness to damage his own allies when it serves his personal ambitions.

The role of First Selectman is not about branding or visibility. It is about making tough, sometimes unpopular decisions. Someone who prioritizes personal exposure will inevitably fold under pressure—not because the issues are complex, but because the personal cost is too high.

In more than 25 years of being active in local and state politics, I have never publicly leveled this kind of criticism against a fellow Republican. This was not written lightly or easily. But the seriousness of the office and the conduct involved leave me no choice but to speak plainly to Fairfield voters. In my judgment—formed over more than 25 years in public life—Tony Hwang is among the worst, most self-absorbed and least trustworthy individuals I have encountered in government, in either party.

Fairfield needs a First Selectman who governs with integrity and responsibility, not someone who measures success by headlines or personal branding. I do not believe Tony Hwang is capable of that. Fairfield voters should weigh that reality carefully—regardless of party.

Timothy M. Herbst served as First Selectman of Trumbull from 2009 to 2017.