Congratulations to our newly elected town officials! Thank you to all who voted!

 

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Chester Democratic Town Committee

Our mission is to promote quality of life and sense of community for all of our residents, and to select, develop and elect qualified candidates for public office.

 

Providing Support for the Leadership We Need!

The CDTC is able to play an important role in our community thanks to the generosity and volunteerism of engaged residents.

Our goal is to elect interested, qualified and knowledgeable candidates for Town Offices, and to keep our fellow residents informed and involved. Collaboration makes us stronger as a community. We thank all our volunteers, past and present, for their service to our town. Please consider getting involved! Board & Committee vacancies are updated regularly on the Town Clerk’s page.

 

 

Democratic Municipal Elected Officials

First Selectwoman:  Cindy Lignar

Selectwoman: Pat Bandzes

Town Clerk: Kathryn Hair
Tax Collector: Madaline A. Meyer

Board of Finance Full Members: Andrew Gardner & Michael Jordan

Board of Finance Alternate: Roger Lebrecque

Board of Education: Maria Scherber, Rebecca Greenberg-Ellis, and Jan Taigen

Board of Assessment Appeals: Sarah J. Germini

Planning & Zoning: Elaine Fitzgibbons, Henry Benjamin Krempel, Patricia Bisacky, Keith Scherber, Seth Fidel, Shubert Koong, Carlie Dailey, & Michael Joplin

Zoning Board of Appeals: Victor Fetter, Erik Anderson Sr., & Michael R. Peck

Zoning Board of  Appeals Alternate: Seth Cohen

Library Trustees: Sandy Senior-Dauer & Karin Badger

Regional Board of Education: David Fitzgibbons, Richard Strauss, Dale Bernardoni, Lori Ann Clymas, and Laurence Fearon

Cindy Lignar - Endorsed Candidate for First Selectwoman

Cindy Lignar - First Selectwoman

Cindy Lignar is a professional businesswoman with experience in strategic planning and  implementation of budgets and programs, as well as the successful former co-owner of Squared Circle Studio in Deep River.  She is also the former president of the Deep River Merchants Association.   

Cindy is a  registered nurse with a varied clinical background that includes public safety and health management experience. In previous positions as vice president of Operations and director of Clinical Services at area home care & hospice agencies, she was responsible for budget development and implementation; staff supervision and professional development; continuous quality assessments and improvement of patient care and outcomes; coordination of services and programs; and collaboration with local, state and federal departments and officials.  
A tireless volunteer, Cindy serves on Chester’s Economic Development Commission and was on last year’s ad hoc Chester Governance Study Committee. She continues to act as the team lead on the Chester Sustainability Team and as a member of the Regional Planning Committee of the Lower Connecticut River Valley Council of Governments. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, Cindy volunteered as a Connecticut Medical Reserve Corps professional. She was hired as a public health nurse for the Middletown Health Department and continued to work as a frontline leader providing vaccinations and COVID-19 testing. 

With Cindy’s professional business background in project management, communications, emergency preparedness and more, she’s ready for the challenges facing Chester, whether it’s meeting the goals and objectives of the current Plan of Conservation & Development, fulfilling the strategies proposed in the Affordable Housing Plan, or delivering balanced budgets and fiscal accountability. 
Cindy has a deep passion for and authentic connections in our community, and she believes she is the professional needed to sustain Chester and move it into the future.  

Cindy has lived in Chester for over 19 years and is happily married to her husband, Ken. She has a wonderful adult daughter, Rachelle, who lives in Queens, New York, as well as two dogs, Bowie and Ollie. Cindy is an outdoors and fitness enthusiast, who enjoys hiking, boxing, reading, history, arts and culture. 

Patricia Bandzes, 2023 Candidate for Selectwoman

Patricia Bandzes - Selectwoman

Patricia (Pat) Bandzes is the 2023 candidate for Selectperson in Chester, CT.  An Unaffiliated candidate, Pat was endorsed by Chester Democrats. 

A former business professional, Pat has a varied background and a diverse set of skills, including project management, community and government relations, strategic communications, outreach planning, and emergency preparedness. Most of her career was spent in the energy industry with a focus on communicating key energy-related matters to regulators, government officials, business and community groups, employees, media, and the public. Over the years, she has worked on several high-profile energy infrastructure projects in CT, PA and New England. For a brief period, she worked in corporate communications for a national healthcare company.  Pat completed her career as a Community Relations & Economic Development Specialist where she was the lead utility company contact for numerous municipalities in central and eastern CT.  She has served as the team lead for coordinating emergency restoration outreach for CT municipalities during major storms and outages.  As a result of these experiences, she knows how to listen, be empathetic, and how to find and share resources.  Over the years, Pat has cultivated a network of business, community, and government contacts in Middlesex County and the region that will serve Chester well. 

A life-long volunteer, Pat currently chairs Chester’s Economic Development Commission.  She was the liaison to RiverCOG for the town’s first Affordable Housing Plan and now serves on their Regional Housing Committee.  She was a member of the ad-hoc Governance Study Committee and she is part of the team helping to create a safer, more sustainable Chester.  During the COVID-19 pandemic, Pat volunteered with the Chester Food program and was part of the vaccination call team.  Pat previously served on the Board of Finance and Board of Selectmen in the Town of Middlefield.  She was a long-time 4-H leader and currently volunteers with veterans in the Horsefeathers Program at the Ray of Light Farm in East Haddam. 

Pat has been married to her husband, Bob, for more than 40 years after meeting in Italy where he was stationed in the U.S. Army and she was on summer break from college.  They have two married adult sons.  Over 10 years ago, they moved to Chester to “live the dream” of having a small horse farm.  Pat loves most outdoor recreation activities and doing anything that involves horses.  She enjoys theater, reading, and is an avid wellness/fitness enthusiast.   

News & Events

Next DTC meeting:

TBA

Time: 

Location:

 

Zoom Meeting: 
 
Meeting ID: 
Passcode: 
 
 

Chester Meeting House

Chester Meeting House
VOTE!

How to Vote by Absentee Ballot:

 

Absentee ballots are sent to voters who submit an absentee ballot application.   

 

Absentee ballot instructions:
These instructions are also printed on the ballot.

The absentee ballot packet includes your ballot, an inner envelope (marked “B”), and the outer envelope (marked “C”).

 

1.) Mark the ballot by coloring and filling in the round circle with your choice of candidate using a black or blue pen. DO NOT put any other marks in the round circles on the ballot.

You will be voting for four (4) candidates

 

2.) Place the completed ballot inside the inner envelope (marked “B”). Make sure you SIGN the outside of the inner envelope and SEAL it.

 

3.) Place your signed and sealed inner envelope B inside of the return outer envelope (“C”) that is addressed to town hall and is postage paid. Only one ballot allowed per envelope and must be in the envelope marked specifically for you.

 

4.) Send in your ballot immediately so your vote is timely received and counted. You can avoid potential delays by mail by dropping your absentee ballot in the secure Ballot Drop Box located at the rear of Chester Town Hall.

 

SAVE THE DATE!

2024 PRELIMINARY PRESIDENTIAL AND CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARY DATES

Presidential Primary Debate: April 2, 2024

Presidential Caucus: TBD

Congressional Primary Debate: August 13, 2024 – In Connecticut, conventions are held by the political parties prior to the primary

Congressional Runoff Date: TBD

Election Deadlines

Per the Connecticut Secretary of State,

Your application must be postmarked or received by a voter registration agency by the 7th day before an election (OR you may register in person with your Registrar of Voters by the 7th day before an election).

Privileges attach immediately upon approval of the application by the registrar, unless

  1. the application is delivered in person to the registrar after the seven day before an election in person voter registration deadline or
  2. mailed or postmarked to the registrar or a voter registration agency after the 7-day mail in registration deadline before an election, or
  3. the application is made to a voter registration agency, made other than in person to the registrar, or postmarked, after the fifth day before a primary, or
  4. made in person to the registrar after 12 noon of the last business day before a primary.

 

Questions – contact the Town Clerk’s office at 860-526-0013, ext. 510 or the Registrar of Voter’s office at 860-526-0013, ext. 211.

 

Contribute

We gratefully accept contributions through an easy-to-use third-party gateway which accepts major credit cards. If you prefer, you may send a check made out to "CDTC" through the mail, to the address provided below in the Get In Touch section.

Sign up with your email to receive CDTC news or updates. Volunteer! There are so many ways your participation can make a difference! Please let us know what fits your interest and time availability.

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Contact Us

You can reach us by email at chesterct.democrats@gmail.com, or by mail at CDTC, PO Box 91, Chester CT 06412.

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OF COURSE WE NEED HOPE. BUT THE ONE THING WE NEED MORE THAN HOPE, IS ACTION. BECAUSE ONCE WE START TO ACT, HOPE IS EVERYWHERE.”  

– Greta Thunberg