At Monday’s (Nov. 4) Board of Selectmen meeting — on the eve of Election Day — First Selectman Toni Boucher took the opportunity to thank all of the candidates running for offices to represent Wilton.
“I want to give my personal thanks to Democratic and Republican candidates that are out there, that have worked so hard,” Boucher said. “We are blessed in this community because both parties have brought forward some stellar candidates, any of which would do us proud in Wilton.”
“Having personally run 17 campaigns of my own since my first Board of Ed campaign to the Board of Selectmen and so forth, I can tell you, it is not easy to do,” she continued.
Boucher proceeded to read a quote she attributed to Theodore Roosevelt as a reminder that the candidates deserve respect for their endeavor:
“It is not the critic who counts, not the woman or man who points out how the strong man or woman stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit goes to the man or woman who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who does actually strive to do the deeds, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends themselves in a worthy cause, who at the best knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, or at the worst, if he or she fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Boucher concluded her remarks with gratitude for everyone on the ballot.
“Thank you to all that strive to represent us. Whether they win or lose, we are proud of them, and we’re grateful for them.”
Of note, Boucher did not make any endorsement in the state house races.