Champagne, Schoolnik accept parties' nominations in Vernon mayoral race

Anthony Branciforte, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·4 min read

Jul. 28—VERNON — Republican Mayor Daniel Champagne will face Planning and Zoning Commission member and Democratic Town Vice Chairman Jesse Schoolnik this November as he vies for his fifth term.

First elected mayor in 2013 after serving three terms on the Town Council, Champagne is a retired Vernon police officer who also serves as state senator for the 35th District, which encompasses 13 towns, including Coventry, Stafford, Tolland, Vernon, and part of Ellington.

Schoolnik, a regulatory affairs manager at UnitedHealth Group, has previously worked for the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Engineering and was a bipartisan staffer in the U.S. Senate while living in Washington, D.C., from 2005 to 2015.

Both candidates have spoken about the importance of economic development, with Champagne saying the town is on the right track and Schoolnik saying more can be done.

"We continue to push for more businesses. I know the grand list for businesses is up this year; we thought it was going to go down" because of the pandemic, Champagne, who was formally nominated at the party's caucus, said. "We did everything we could to make sure our businesses survived. We made sure they could set up outside, provided PPE, made sure we were able to get their employees vaccinated."

Schoolnik, a Wallingford native who said moving to Vernon six years ago was "one of the best decisions" he's ever made, said he would work to expand the number of businesses in town. He also has been formally nominated.

"Bringing in new businesses and restaurants will help attract people from our surrounding towns to spend their time and money, and help stimulate our economy," he said following his nomination. When announcing his candidacy last month, he said he saw "the opportunity to make Vernon a destination for residents of surrounding towns to come spend their time and spend their money."

Champagne touted his fiscal record, noting that the town's tax rate has not increased in four years. He said his administration has aggressively pursued federal and state grant money as part of the effort to ease the tax burden for residents and business owners.

Schoolnik, however, said the town would be better off with a mayor who does not divide his time between serving the town and the broader region.

"In recent years, we've seen a conflict of interest in the mayor's office, with dueling constituencies in Vernon, Hartford, and surrounding towns," he said, referencing Champagne's position as state senator. "Vernon deserves a mayor who will focus only on Vernon, and I will be that mayor."

Rep. Michael Winkler, D-Vernon, said Schoolnik's record in the nation's capital, which involved securing federal funding for nuclear medicine, shows that he would be "a welcomed change" in Town Hall.

"Jesse has spent the last 15 years of his life helping others," Winkler said.

Republican Town Chairman Robert Hurd said Champagne's pandemic response, work to open the Pitney Park on Grove Street after a cleanup effort at the blighted site, and record on the budget are reasons he should be re-elected.

"The man is extremely energetic, extremely committed, and I look forward to another two years of knowing he's on the job," Hurd said.

For Town Council, Democratic incumbents Ann Letendre and Maryann Levesque are joined on the ballot by newcomers Karen Colt, Nicola Chambers-Holder, Ariana Nieves-Matias, Dennis Plevyak, Teri-Lynn Rogers, and Jennifer Hirschberg-Wise. Democrat Thomas DiDio, and former Democrat Pauline Schaefer, who became unaffiliated during the current term, both said they chose not to run for re-election this year.

Meanwhile, the Republican slate remains largely unchanged, with incumbents Laura Bush, William Campbell, Julie Clay, Linda Gessay, Brian Motola, James Tedford, and Michael Wendus all running for re-election. Steve Wakefield, longtime council member and current deputy mayor, is leaving the council to spend more time with his grandchildren, Hurd said, and will be replaced on the ballot by John O'Connell.

For Board of Education, Republicans have nominated incumbents Patricia Buxton and Mason Thrall for two-year terms, and incumbents Mark Kalina and Deborah Rodriguez for two-year terms.

Democratic nominees for four-year school board terms are incumbent Kevin Brown and newcomer Josh Poloski. Incumbent Kristiana Wintress and newcomer Greg Buonome are running for two-year terms, and incumbent Jennifer Buckler is running unopposed to fill a vacancy in a special election.

For updates and coverage of Vernon and Stafford, follow Anthony Branciforte on Twitter: @ABranciforte_JI, Facebook: Reporter Anthony Branciforte, and Instagram: @JI_Anthony1.