By Ruth Melville

Norfolk Republicans gathered to select the party’s town committee members.

In an election year, most Americans are familiar with state and presidential caucuses, which are heavily publicized, much anticipated and often divisive national events. But on January 9 a similar democratic process—if on a much smaller scale—took place in Norfolk’s Town Hall. On that night the town’s Republicans and Democrats met in caucus, as they do every even-numbered year, to select a slate of candidates for membership in their respective town committees.

By state regulation, all registered members of a political party are publicly invited to participate at a determined time, place and day in that party’s caucus. To allow time for primary challenges, the slates that were proposed and approved by each party on January 9 will take office during the first week in March.

The two caucuses proceeded in a similar fashion, following rules laid down by the respective state parties. About a dozen members of each party attended their respective caucus.

Colleen Gundlach, serving as temporary chair of the Republican committee, first had to be elected as permanent chair just for this meeting. She then read aloud the list of candidates, which had been presented to town committee members earlier. After taking nominations from the floor, three names were added to the roster from among attendees of the caucus. After a voice vote, the list of candidates was unanimously approved and the caucus adjourned. The proposed members of the Republican town committee are Bruce Anderson, Colleen Gundlach, Frank Buyak, Paul Chaplinsky, Phylis Bernard, Marion Felton, Joann Gundlach, Ron Zanobi, Josh DeCerbo, Ann DeCerbo, Donna Sitter, Schuyler Thomson, Karen Linden, Frank Trager, James Stotler, Starling Childs and David Torrey.

Norfolk’s Democrats met on the same night for the bi-annual event.

Upstairs, Leo Colwell chaired the Democrats’ caucus. The secretary of the committee, Sue Dyer, read the proposed slate of candidates, which was voted in as a whole. No other candidates were suggested from the floor. The candidates endorsed for selection are Leo Colwell, Francis Dooley, Susan Dyer, Robert Dwyer, Stephen Getz, Walter Godlewski 3rd, Leo Groppo, Shelley Harms, Keith Harvill, Jennifer Langendoerfer, Eleanor LaForge, Hartley Mead, Ruthann Olsson, Barbara Perkins, Linda Perkins, Danese Perron, June Peterson, Katherine Pilbin, David Potter, Mary Bazzano-Reeve, Henry Tirrell, Tara Yard and Peter Mulville.

Once the new committees are sworn in in March, they will elect new officers. The main duties of a town political committee are to endorse candidates for local boards and commissions and to discuss and advocate on town issues. They also choose delegates to represent Norfolk at conventions for state and federal offices, including state legislators, governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. Congress. In addition, they send delegates to the state conventions where the Electoral College electors are selected for presidential elections.

Photos by Bruce Frisch.