FAIRFIELD, Conn. Two new storefronts have popped up in Fairfields business centers. Both have plenty of merchandise in stock, including signs, bumper stickers and even those rubber grips you use to open stubborn jars. But they give away all of their stock for free. Thats because these two shops are selling candidates.
Both the Republican and Democratic parties last week opened their headquarters for this Novembers elections. The groups both chose storefronts along U.S. 1 but on different sides of town. The Democrats will run their campaigns from 500 Kings Highway E., near the Bridgeport border. The Republican headquarters sit at 1508 Post Road in Fairfield Center.
I think its a good location, on the Post Road, said Republican volunteer Joan Swanson. Added volunteer coordinator Betty Riccio, Were very excited.
The Republicans opened their headquarters two weeks ago but began staffing it full time Friday. Volunteers will be at the storefront (in Chase Banks old location) starting at 10 a.m. each day and remaining well into the evening. Voters can come in any day to collect lawn signs and pamphlets. They can also find out more about first selectman candidate Robert Bellitto Jr., his running mate James Walsh and the rest of the GOP slate.
The Democratic candidates are out courting voters door-to-door in their districts, but so far their Kings Highway headquarters is not open regularly to the public. Selectman candidate Cristin McCarthy Vahey, however, said her party plans to accept walk-ins once they round up volunteers.
The hours right now are pretty flexible, McCarthy Vahey said. But we will finalize a schedule soon.
As of this weekend, both headquarters were relatively sparse. Each contained rows of empty chairs, a few volunteers and huge stocks of yard signs Friday. But with the election six weeks from Tuesday, set for Nov. 8, both parties expect to have phone banks running and more activity buzzing soon.
Swanson knows how important campaigning is. She was a member of Fairfields legislature, the Representative Town Meeting, for 12 years. But Swanson lost her seat on the body by just one vote. So your vote really does count."
To reach Greg Canuel, email [email protected].
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