Letter to the Editor
- West Hartford Dems
- Jul 26
- 2 min read
To the Editor:
After years of failing to run a full slate of candidates for Town Council, West Hartford Republicans came up with the requisite six candidates. That’s good news for democracy, but overshadowed by the crazy quilt ticket they did endorse.
Gone is current Town Council Minority Leader Mark Zydanowicz, a real conservative who got kicked to the curb because he put governing ahead of partisanship. Then there are two credible candidates in incumbent Alberto Cortes and Gayle Harris; one unknown with no apparent experience; and far-right Kyle Zelazny who often out-Trumps Trump.
But wait, it gets worse. Jason Wang and John Lyons are both recent Democrats now turned Republicans only because each failed to win the trust and support of West Hartford Democrats during a fair and open endorsement process. At this dangerous time in America, they chose to stand with the party of Trump. Wang displayed real political contortions to go from Democrat to Unaffiliated and now Republican in just a few days. Then there’s John Lyons, a longtime active Democrat and outspoken critic of West Hartford Republicans, but now a newly minted Trump Republican. I do not fault John’s ambition, only his opportunism. It says a lot about the candidate and the person that his written promise during the endorsement process not to run if not nominated as a Democrat meant nothing. For someone seeking the public’s trust, integrity and honesty ought to count for more than that. I predict the Republicans will soon regret his raw opportunism.
Fortunately, voters have a clear choice: Trump Republicans or the responsive and responsible leadership of Mayor Shari Cantor and her Democratic Town Council team. West Hartford continues to be wonderfully welcoming, one of the top-rated places to live in America and a beacon of good government. Our tax base continues to grow, providing great schools and services.
Especially now, our Democratic leaders stand up for the values of our community at a time when those values are under assault. Make no mistake, the election this year is more than local. It’s about choosing between Republicans who stand with Trump and Democrats who are fighting back to protect town government as our first and last line of defense.
Kevin Sullivan
West Hartford
