For the 2025 Wilton Municipal Elections, GOOD Morning Wilton asked all candidates to submit a 150-word bio; candidates running for the Boards of Selectmen, Finance and Education and the Planning and Zoning Commission were asked to sit for a video interview and submit an 800-word op-ed. In addition, candidates in the other races were invited to submit an op-ed if they wanted. More information is available in GMW’s Election Guidelines and Policies.
GMW Video Interview
Candidate Submitted Bio
Richard McCarty has lived in Wilton for 30 years with his wife Ann raising three children. A retired corporate attorney with over four decades of experience in insurance, financial services and governance, Richard was a senior vice president and general counsel for the United States and Bermuda subsidiaries of a publicly traded company, managing complex legal matters and multimillion-dollar budgets.
Now retired, Richard is an active community volunteer [currently] serving on the Board of Selectmen, [and having served on the] Board of Assessment [Appeals], Fire Commission and Wilton Schools Long Range Planning Committees, and as an election poll worker. He also volunteers for the American Red Cross Disaster Action Team and Princeton’s Alumni Schools Committee.
Richard is running for the Board of Selectmen with a deep love for Wilton and his commitment to collaborative, nonpartisan leadership. He believes the town must address long-term challenges, including infrastructure and affordability, with transparency, integrity and a vision for Wilton’s future.
Candidate Submitted Op-Ed
A Vision for Wilton’s Future
by Rich McCarty, Democratic Candidate for Board of Selectmen
There comes a time when an individual sees an opportunity to step forward to again serve the community. Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Independent or unaffiliated, we all care deeply about Wilton and want it to succeed. Wilton is at an inflection point. The challenges of the present should be addressed with an eye to our future. My experiences in private and public service have taught me that lasting solutions arise from listening, collaborating and transparency. I will foster bipartisan unity to find immediate and long-term solutions to the challenges facing our community. My approach is to focus on finding common ground and delivery of results. I will seek out best practices and innovative strategies to move our Wilton forward.
I am running for the Board of Selectmen with a deep sense of responsibility and a hopeful heart. My decision was not made lightly. It is the result of years of service to the town, observation, and a profound love for the place my family and I have called home for 30 years. I believe local government holds tremendous potential to improve our daily lives, and I am committed to making a lasting, positive difference for our collective future.
My most compelling reason to seek office is the urgent need to address issues directly affecting our community. My friends and neighbors have voiced their shared concerns about our schools, infrastructure and social services. I listen to our community ask how we spend our tax dollars. A common thread of these discussions is that our local government feels distant, unresponsive and slow to act. I believe it is necessary for our leaders to be accessible, transparent and accountable. I can serve you in this way.
As a member of the Board of Selectmen since my Aug. 4, 2025 appointment by the board, I have sought to prioritize a more open dialogue and inclusive decision-making. My goals are to work together to create avenues for feedback to ensure every voice is heard. Serving in office is not about imposing one’s own ideas but about working together to find solutions that are both practical and fair. By fostering trust between residents and the Board of Selectmen we can build consensus and achieve real, efficient progress for the present and the future.
The issue that stirs the deepest within me is, by its very nature, a reflection of my experiences and vision for Wilton. Our schools have been great for my family as they have been for other Warrior families. They continue to serve each of us well in countless ways. We must keep our schools as our leading priority as we make choices around Wilton’s future. This leads to the question of what we want Wilton to be? During my service on the Board of Assessment Appeals and from discussions with our neighbors as I knock on doors as part of this campaign, families come to Wilton to benefit from the opportunities available from Miller-Driscoll through Wilton High School. I worry that the history of support for our schools is now challenged by the too fiscally conservative practices of the past 10 years. How we manage and solve the ~$150 million infrastructure issues is an essential element to the future of our town. It cannot be looked at in isolation from determining how we deliver all essential services. A lack of leadership in the past has created the current challenge that I will work to resolve in a bipartisan way so we can address what our future will be.
My wife Ann and I have enjoyed living in Wilton for 30 years. We have three children and four grandchildren. Each of our children went through the Wilton schools. I graduated from Princeton University and New York Law School and had a 43-year career as a corporate attorney in the insurance, reinsurance and financial services industries, including 12 years as a general counsel managing a staff of over 60 professionals. Over my 30 years in town, I have served on the Fire Commission, Board of Assessment [Appeals], Firehouse 2 Building Committee and Wilton Schools Long Range Planning Committees, and as a Red Cross Disaster Action Team volunteer.
My career has prepared me well for the Board of Selectmen. I know the importance of being a good listener, working on teams, and communicating clearly to get things done. Working internally requires collaboration to find alternatives to meet the client’s needs or to know when something can be done. I will continue to bring this experience to the position. A friend who recently returned to town after many years away said that Wilton has changed but it still feels the same. Let that be our shared vision, to manage change while keeping that same Wilton feeling.
Candidate Interview Clips
Q: Tell us what you bring to the table to help make the Board of Selectmen better.
Q: You have a different perspective than some of the other candidates. Can you give us your assessment of the current Board of Selectmen — how it’s functioning, and what you’ll do if elected to improve it?
Q: You mentioned wanting less partisanship and more consensus building. Given how divided the current board seems, do you really think that’s possible?
Q: Do you think you had an unfair advantage in this election by being appointed to the board?
Q: You’ve talked about partisanship and transparency. From the outside, people see less openness and more closed-door decisions. How do you respond to that?
Q: Has this administration been following proper process — especially with finance, personnel, and budgeting issues? What’s your take on how things are being managed?
Q: There have been ongoing issues with departments like Finance and DPW. Who’s really running the ship, and should the Town Charter be revisited?
Q: If you’re elected, have you ever thought about running for First Selectman?
Q: Let’s talk about Gilbert & Bennett — what do you think should happen with that property?
Q: What about Town Hall — do you think it should be renovated, replaced, or rebuilt?
Q: How much responsibility do you have to communicate with the public and the press, especially when transparency seems to be lacking?
Q: How can the town get more residents involved — to volunteer, serve, or even just show up to meetings?
Q: Let’s talk about Ambler Farm — how can the Board of Selectmen move the lease issue forward and finally get it signed?
Q: What role should the Board of Selectmen play in encouraging economic development and supporting local businesses?
Q: Finally, give us your 30-second elevator pitch — why should voters elect you to the Board of Selectmen?