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The following information was submitted for publication by the Wilton Democratic Town Committee.
Earlier this month, the Wilton Democratic Town Committee endorsed four candidates for election in the fall:
- Rep. Stephanie Thomas (D-143) for Secretary of the State
- Ceci Maher for State Senate, 26th District
- Keith Denning for State Assembly, 42nd District
- Judge Douglas Stern for re-election to Probate Court
The endorsements were made at the monthly meeting of the Wilton DTC on Tuesday evening, April 6. All votes were unanimous.
Thomas, a businesswoman and entrepreneur who was elected to the Assembly in 2020 to represent Wilton, Westport and Norwalk, has been a strong advocate for civic education and greater voting access. As co-chair of the Government Administration and Elections Committee, she has pushed for early voting and broader access to absentee ballots. Thomas is the founder and CEO of a successful New York and Connecticut-based non-profit consultancy. She seeks the office being vacated by Secretary of the State Denise Merrill.
DTC Vice Chair Vicki Rossi praised Thomas’s work ethic and priorities. “Stephanie has passion and works harder than anyone I know, always with a smile. Nothing is ever too much. Her number one priority has always been voting rights and equal accessibility. Stephanie is the right person for the right time when access to voting is such a major issue.”
Maher, the former CEO of the non-profit Person to Person, where she spent 14 years, served Wilton more recently as a member of the town’s Board of Finance. Maher said that in the years of her work with non-profits, she has come to understand the power of empathy and collaboration. “Let’s work together!” is her mantra. She is running to succeed State Sen. Will Haskell (D) of Westport, who is stepping down to enter law school.
Rossi called Maher “a powerhouse” who can be “tough but always genuine,” citing her service on the Board of Finance. “She has dedicated her life to non-profits and helping people. She has spark, passion and wit. She has big shoes to fill in following Will, but she is the right person to be our next state senator.”
Denning was a former chief nurse anesthetist at two surgical hospitals in Cincinnati before moving with his family to Wilton in 2017. He has served on medical missions around the world. He served on the Wilton Board of Zoning Appeals before running for Board of Selectmen last year. “We need someone who can move the needle, make it easier to do business, cut taxes for our families and ensure excellent schools,” Denning said in his announcement declaring his campaign for the 42nd District’s new seat, created by redistricting last year, that covers Wilton and parts of New Canaan and Ridgefield.
Ross Tartell, a Wilton selectman and member of the DTC, proposed Denning for endorsement. “Keith has an incredible ability to connect with and understand people regardless of their political affiliation, social status, or economic status. His life is guided by his faith and values. He has used his talents as a nurse anesthetist all over the world as part of Operation Smile, and to resettle refugees and help the economically disadvantaged. Because of his capacity to understand others and his ability to do an enormous amount of work, he will be a great state representative representing the 42nd District in Hartford.”
Stern was elected Judge of the Norwalk-Wilton Probate Court in 2018. A graduate of Vanderbilt and Tulane School of Law, he formerly worked for Citigroup/Smith Barney in New York. He has been active with the Family and Children’s Agency, one of Norwalk’s oldest non-profits, where he served on the board.
DTC Chair Tom Dubin praised Stern’s work on the bench.
