Westport is a Democratic town (8,452 registered voters as of October 31, 2024). There are 7,875 unaffiliated voters, and 3,555 Republicans.
The chairs of all major boards are Democrats. But First Selectwoman Jen Tooker is a Republican.
For a while, some Westporters have asked where she stood on national issues.
1st Selectwoman Jen Tooker, at a recent Sunrise Rotary meeting.
During the 2024 presidential campaign, and afterward, they felt it was important to know if the town’s chief executive shared some or all of President Trump’s stands and values.
Others argued that national issues have no bearing on local affairs. They were not bothered by her silence.
But as Tooker steps onto the statewide stage — after announcing her candidacy for governor on Monday — questions about her national political views will intensify.
Westport resident Scott Smith wants to hear from Tooker. He writes:
Like many Westporters, I’m alarmed by the torrent of dubious policy decisions and dodgy governing practices being rushed into action by the new administration.
I know where I personally stand on these issues, and what my core values are. But what I don’t know is where we, as a community, stand as this national debate, if not crisis, unfolds.
I sent the letter below to First Selectwoman Tooker on February 26. She has not yet replied.
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First Selectwoman Tooker,
I’m proud that Westport is a community of engaged citizens able and willing to lend their diverse voices to contribute to the greater good. In this moment of national debate, if not outright crisis, your silence on political, ethical and moral issues that affect us all strikes me as a lack of transparency, at best.
“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing,” said Edmund Burke, speaking in the language of his time.
The second Trump administration has polarized the nation even more than before. (Photo/Spencer Platt)
I know where I and many other Westporters stand on these public matters, and it’s time for us to hear what specific views you, as our duly elected first selectwoman, hold regarding issues that are important to us all, regardless of political persuasion. Among them:
- With Westport’s collective support of our Ukrainian sister city of Lyman in mind, what is your response to President Trump’s refusal to acknowledge that Russia invaded a neighboring sovereign country and has, in fact, committed atrocities against its innocent civilians?
- If ICE agents come to Westport to detain suspected undocumented immigrants, how will you instruct Westport police officers to participate in those actions?
- Would you allow a “special advisor” to your administration access to sensitive town databases of both public and private records? What is your opinion of Elon Musk’s infiltration of federal agencies and DOGE’s attempt to fire employees without due process?
- What is your response to President Trump’s recent declaration, “I’m committed to buying and owning Gaza” and that the Palestinians should resettle “permanently” in “nice homes” somewhere else?
- As the head of a municipality with many foreign-born residents, what is your view of President Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship through an executive order and his recent claim at CPAC that this right, afforded by the 14th Amendment, was intended only for “children of slaves”?
- Do you stand by Westport’s 2021 Statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity? If so, how do you rebut the current Republican Administration’s wholesale efforts to end such established DEI practices and policies?
Simply put, silence is complicity. As citizens of a local representative democracy, Westporters deserve to know where our elected leaders stand on these troubling topics and other impactful issues.
Will you speak publicly to these matters and will you allow your constituents the opportunity to engage with you about them in an open public forum?
Thank you for your prompt reply to this letter from a concerned citizen.
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Now, in light of Tooker’s announcement of her candidacy for governor, I think it’s even more important to know where our elected officials stand not just on local civic issues, but on ethical, moral and national political matters that affect us all — and for those leaders to be willing to engage with the community to figure out how we as Westporters can meet the world at this crucial moment.
Tooker’s announcement refers to her as “a champion for fiscal responsibility, economic growth, and government accountability.” I would like to know how she would address the specific questions raised in the letter not only as Westport’s highest-ranking elected official, but now also in the context of her run for governor.
Thanks, Dan, for that important post…let’s she whether she has the courage to respond; hoping her answers are (even partly) honest.
Dont know you Dan Katz but u win the award for the first passive aggressive morning attack on First Selectwoman Tooker. She was voted in and does her best, as did Marpe, to make Westport special. Lets not have a political back and forth here. She cares about this town and politics is so divisive. We dont need to challenge her courage and honesty to start the day. I think she has earned that. She will of course state her position on state and federal laws as she begins her campaign.
in other words she doesn’t need to address our concerns. ?
“politics is so divisive” – thanks for the laugh. She’s literally a politician.
Don’t forget, we had a pathetically low voter turnout the year she was elected, 2021. Her opponent Jonathan Steinberg lost by a mere 69 votes. The Libertarian candidate got 64 votes. So clearly, not a mandate. It will be interesting to see of she responds. I wouldn’t hold my breath.
this is what happens when you don’t vote shame on democrats who didn’t vote. Democrats do not fight hard enough. Democrats do not fight dirty enough. We are sleep walking into a loss of democracy. The USA is aligned with Russian interests The USA is run by oligarchs like Musk
By way of background before commenting, I am not affiliated with a political party. I was also on the RTM and have first hand knowledge of what is and is not relevant to local politics.
Selectwoman Tooker will likely answer many of these questions during her campaign for governor, but I completely disagree with the notion that she must address them now in her current role. The only directly pertinent inquiry seems to be the one about our local police and the ICE agents. Note that I’m excluding the question about standing by Westport’s Statement on Diversity – although it is also relevant – because it is silly. Tooker was second Selectwoman when the statement was passed, so yes, she supports it. If she hadn’t been willing to stand by it she wouldn’t have supported it.
We live in a town that has significantly more unaffiliated and Democratic Party members than republican voters, and yet Selectwoman Tooker was still elected. I voted for her – even though I usually end up voting for democrats – and have personal knowledge of her capabilities and character from my time in local government, along with a sense of where she stands on the issues you delineate. I suspect many others felt the same.
For what it is worth, this post is extremely irritating to me and has the opposite effect of what the author intended. And this is coming from someone who was so upset about Trump winning his first term that I ran for office myself, and even more upset now. This does not advance political discourse. Have some patience and ask questions pertinent to Tooker’s candidacy for governor during her campaign.
Anyone suggesting it’s unfair to ask where our local leaders stand on these crucial issues is insane. You don’t want her to have to answer because you don’t want to know the answer. I emailed her after the disastrous BOE candidate, asking how the republicans let this happen. No response. Should have invited her to a cocktail party, I suppose.
I don’t think it is “unfair” to ask but most of this is not relevant to her current role. Ask the questions in her capacity as a gubernatorial candidate. What I do think is “insane” is when people try to foment discord and win over voters through posts like this. Voters in our area are extremely sophisticated and recognize nuance. The author is not advancing his cause. It’s more likely that he is irritating people and further solidifying support for Tooker. People who feel otherwise probably aren’t voting for her either way.
Stifling discourse is always a boneheaded move. A voter is asking questions of an elected official. Nothing is more basic. Why does anyone even have to point this out? You’re “extremely irritated”? Who cares?
I’m not stifling discourse – I’m adding to it by participating. A voter is asking questions that, with one exception, are not relevant to Tooker in her capacity as First Selectwoman. Of course she wouldn’t respond in that capacity. Being upset that she isn’t is irritating, and if the purpose of this post is to woo gubernatorial votes, I would assume that people should care about turning off the undecided voters that they are courting. I am far from alone in this point of view.
He’s OK. He just had a bad night.
But I’ve asked where she stands on these issues during her term, numerous times, just the same as the writer of this opinion piece. And we can never get answers. I voted for her and I can’t even get a response on how she felt about the election of 2020 being a fair election, or rigged?
If it were me, I would have asked for her positions BEFORE I voted for her. But, that’s just me. She does have nice teeth (are they hers?). You have to hand it to her: Avoidance has taken her a long way in politics. This next move (Hartford) may be a little bit trickier to pull off.
Allow me to retort! I actually voted for her on her previous ticket, as second selectwoman – I did not vote for her for selectwoman, as I couldn’t get an answer on her stance on Trump, post 2020 election denial. 5 years later, I’m still waiting…
Masterfully retorted!!! (Did you attend Staples?)
Hi Christine,
I would just like to make an official record as DTC Chair this author is neither a DTC member nor a candidate, and the Westport Democratic Party had any knowledge of this post.
On a less formal note – voters ask tough questions of political candidates, and that is the nature of the beast. You may not find this line of questioning relevant, but this voter does. Politicians open themselves to a different level of scrutiny when running for office, and that is something every candidate must accept regardless of party. It is then up to the candidate if they choose to answer, and how.
Apparently, TDS is alive and well in Westport. No surprise here…
>> sigh <<
Jen Tooker running as a republican. That says it all. This is someone who obviously supports the Trump administration and its discriminatory mandates. If I was her, I wouldn’t show my face around Westport because there are too many people here who believe in democracy and not fascism. It’s plainly obvious where heart support lies.
With no term limits in CT, Ms. Tooker (provided she gets the GOP nod) will run against Governor Lamont who has become very popular since his handling of the pandemic. 70% polling. But, of course, Ms. Tooker is married to the President of the Hartford Insurance Company. Deep pockets. And despite Linda McMahon spending 50 million to, unsuccessfully, buy a Senate seat twice, money is the name of the game in today’s politics, as it appears now here?
http://www.carladdisonswanson.com
Last night at the speech, I was horrified by what was being said, but even more embarassed by the full-throated cheering on the Republican side of the aisle for a mix of lies, stupid economic policies, bigotry and general meanness. By signing up as a member of a party which has explicitly decided to completely back every one of these policies and cheer loudly for hate in public, you then can’t straddle the line saying you’re part of the party, but won’t comment on what it stands for.
I second Mr. Thiemann’s comments. Those that voted for and/or support the Idiot-in-Chief and his equally idiotic and incompetent administration are complicit in every misguided and ill-conceived policy decision and the sure-to-come ensuing chaos.
His first term was a disaster and he was an embarrassment and we should expect much the same and worse in his second term.
If Tooker wants to run for Governor of CT, her current local constituency has every right to know where she stands on immigration, gender rights, continued support of Ukraine, etc.
I full heartedly concur with both Mr. Donnelly and Mr. Thiemann. I have been trying to get Tooker to answer the question regarding her support for Trump (and supporting Trump is supporting a dismantling of our Constitution and embracing the horrendous policies of Vladimir Putin and the Russians and bowing to lies and cruelty). The values of Trump and the Republican Party do not reflect the values of the majority of the people in Westport. Tooker is smart enough to know that she would never have been re-elected given her party affiliation and support of Trump. She is a Trumper whether she admits it or not.
silence is compliance.
The 11th commandant is thou shalt not be indifferent.
No CAS. The 11th Commandant was Major General Louis P. Biddle.
No, actually William H.T. Walker was the 11 Commandant at West Point. Have you no decency sir?
Has a CT town mayor ever made it to Governor? Bridgeport’s Joe Ganim tried it twice after five terms as Mayor. Considering that of the 169 towns in CT, 102 have GOP mayors, strange they can not win the Hartford job. Good luck Jen but not sure that working in reinsurance in Dallas and then climbing the ladder of local yokel politics here qualifies you as a front runner. Take a lesson from our former only female First Selectwoman, Dianne Farrel, bow out gracefully and take a job in DC with the World Bank. Good luck.
Dannel Malloy, former mayor of Stamford, served 2 terms as governor (2011-2019).
PS: Dianne Farrell was not our only female first selectwoman. Jackie Heneage and Marty Hauhuth both served in the 1970s and ’80s.
Dan, was Jackie Heneage a Republican or a Democrat? Senior moment, I can’t remember.
Jackie Heneager, Marty Hauhuth and Diane Farrell were all Democrats. Jen Tooker is our first Republican first selectwoman. With Andrea Moore and Candice Savin, this is our first all-female board of selectpersons ever.
Too bad they’re Republicans.
Jo Ann,
Are you forgetting about Jackie Heneage? I believe she was the first. And her kids all attended Westport schools (one was in my class).
Didn’t Dianne Farrell run for Congress twice, before she ‘bowed out gracefully’? (No snark intended – just mentioning.)
Whatever the specifics, I appreciate anyone and everyone who gets politically involved, assuming they do so in a courteous, civilized, and lawful way.
Time to come out of the shadows, show some courage and declare herself…. It’s not red or blue…. Is about American Values… If shes a trump flake, get rid of her…. But I’ll bet we won’t get a clear answer as she plays it safe in the middle as long as she can like a typical politician…..we don’t need any more trump toadies/ traitors (Jan 6) in our town or country. It’s time to take stand for the Constitution and the law.
we are a nation aligned with Putin and Russian values. Good luck to our sister city. What would Ronald Reagan say about Trumps policies to Ukraine and Russia ? The Republican Party is a Russian value party What countries are happy with the USA Today ? Russia and North Korea. We also vote with their interests in the United Nations. I would urge republicans to put your red caps on and read your financial statement
Remember about 13 days ago I wrote that the stock markets would crash because we’re going into a steep recession (stagflation actually) that would last many years. How’d I do so far with my market prediction? I’m not going to say anything negative about Ms Tooker. Time to start looking forward!
His preamble and letter were pejorative and did not warrant a response.
Are you suggesting we only have one political party? Is that the basis of one’s morality? (I personally think we need a third party for those who are centrists because nationally I don’t like what I am seeing on both sides). Jen Tooker has a responsibility to NOT give up on the Republican Party. She is smart and compassionate. You can’t take that away from her.
When they’re not gathering in parking lots to sniff ivermectin together before school-board meetings, Republicans are celebrating the racists, rapists, pedophiles, and castrated lapdogs who make up the MAGA movement. Sloppy, stupid, and cruel, they’re all about selfies, not group portraits. Cancer-drug trials? Alzheimer’s research? Nah. Give them that sweet, sweet crypto.
If I’m correct and we’re in a steep economic decline, if I were Ms Tooker, I wouldn’t run for Governor.
Elected leaders are measured by how they represent their neediest and least powerful constituents. Jen Tooker has removed herself from every conversation that affects the powerless. She has been silent on issues like Black Lives Matter and DEI, because there aren’t enough people in town that make up a voting base for that issue, while the anti DEI folks have supported her robustly. She is notably silent on Ukraine since Trump’s attack on Zelensky and his horrifying removal of support for those people, despite her voyage there for a photo op back when the GOP hadn’t yet embraced Putin publicly. Anyone who mimics her mantra, “people over politics,” or insists that this town shouldn’t let politics come into our precious borders is woefully ignorant about how politics affect us – and about how they are already very much being played by Jen Tooker herself. No matter how perfect your life is, if your leaders don’t represent your values, won’t even discuss them or respond to your concerns, it is bad for the town and bad for you. These are not normal times, and we deserve more respect than this. I’m sorry she did not respond to Mr. Smith’s letter. But I am not surprised.
First Selectwoman Tooker: Please respond to Scott Smith’s questions.
Tooker has a clandestine agenda and her lack of transparency has been ongoing. I agree with Scott Smith, and at the very least, she owes us her plan, should ICE enter our town. Answer Scott Smith’s letter, Ms Tooker, that’s your job.
As a constituent, I would very much like to hear what Tooker‘s values really are and if she’s a Trump supporter
Of course Ms. Tooker needs to address national issues in the course of her seeking the Republican nomination for Governor of CT. Whether she chooses to address those issues while in her role as First Selectwoman is mostly her decision. Some of those issues pertain directly to Westport now, e.g. Federal funding alterations, arresting and deporting illegals who are living normal productive lives, cut backs on programs that benefit Westporters and our support for our sister city in The Ukraine, among many. It is also crucial that the Republicans focus on the ability of Ms. Tooker to lead and to accomplish good outcomes for our State. Her performance as our First Selectwoman is relevant.
Scott Smith believes that the Republican “minority” in Westport voters should be serve as a lesson for the First Selectwoman (and other GOP candidates) to keep in mind. However, I suspect that many of us quite easily recall the two terms of Joe Arcudi (as well as Tooker and numerous other GOP first selectmen in the past) as an apt lesson to keep in mind.
“Hate and Judgement Has No Home Here.”
Jen Tooker you are a rock star leader, a great mother, wife, and friend to many of us in this community. It has been an honor to serve on the RTM under her administration and our dedicated town employees.
Jen’s character and values are being questioned once again, not by her supporters, which consists of human beings and residents of this community of both major political parties, unaffiliated voters, and independents- but by a SMALL Minority who simply don’t like Republicans.
A great parable was part of the readings at Assumption Church (by the way a very diverse church where both Jen Tooker and I are parishioners) –
“Before you go and remove the sliver from ones eye, you must first remove the piece of wood from your own.”
Oh and before the rocks come my way…No, I did not vote for Trump…but 77,000,000 plus Americans did correct?
To Scott Smith, and all the Jen Tooker haters, both parties have a lot of work to do to get our democracy back to the middle. We have more in common than divides us.
Your local Republicans are not your enemy!
Okay let it rip!!! Come get me with those keyboards 🙂
Jimmy:
Grew up in this town and our respective multiple social circles overlap too many times to count.
You have always been an incredibly generous person – to friends and strangers alike – and as an RTM member, a dutiful custodian of/for Westport and your efforts are genuine, selfless and sincerely appreciated. If no one has ever personally thanked you for all that you’ve done and all that you do, allow me to do so now – “thank you”.
That being said, I do not frivolously cast aspersions and condemnation at all Republicans but rather only those that voted and support DJT. The guy is stupid. He’s a cheat. He’s corrupt. He’s a felon. He’s been impeached…twice. He surrounds himself with gutless sycophants that stand for nothing that is good, genuine or selfless. Those that have empowered him by voting for him and those that support him are explicitly saying that everything he’s doing is acceptable. You know what ? It’s not.
If Jen Tooker wants to run for Governor of Connecticut and possibly serve and represent its very diverse base of residents, are we not entitled to know what she stands for / how she intends to represent us ? The simple answer is yes.
More Americans did NOT vote (83 million) then did vote for either Trump or Harris. The continued discord dysfunctional branches of government are driving folks away from the polls. Perhaps the Bannon-Miller-2025 playbook should be abandoned?
I believe 06880 should stick to what it does best and leave Op-Eds such as this to the Westport News and Westport Journal.
Boo
I have known Jen Tooker for decades. I would support her run for Governor whether she was a republican, democrat, independent or anything else. She embodies the best of our community. She is fiscally conservative and socially moderate, reflecting the views of the majority of her constituents. While others talk (including some of these awful comments by hyper-partisan people), Jen does. Westport, under her leadership and Jim Marpe’s before her, is a beacon of light, tolerance, inclusion, culture, arts, education, fiscal health – not only in our region but in the United States. Connecticut today ranks #49 in the country (second to last) in fiscal stability. It wanks #48 in economic performance and #43 in population growth as people are fleeing. I am thankful for Jen for everything she has done for her community, and what she will do for Connecticut.
I don’t know where you are getting your population figures but the change in 2022 to 2023 that I see was an increase of 0.23%, which put Connecticut 19th in the country in net % population change. Neither that (nor the increasing housing demand) suggest people are “fleeing.”
I thought you would have fled to Iceland by now?
It is intellectually dishonest to imply that Connecticut’s economic issues arose under Lamont (who has in fact delivered five balanced budgets since he took office in 2019 and who has been fiscally VERY responsible.) Lamont has been righting the ship after years of Republican mismanagement under Rowland and Rell. Here is a 2018 report before Lamont took office. https://www.mercatus.org/research/research-papers/state-fiscal-rankings-2018-edition
We all know that (the other Republican jailbird/felon) GOP governor Rowland created the problem with underfunded pensions. https://www.courant.com/2016/09/27/back-in-cell-ex-gov-rowland-still-costing-us-plenty/. GOP governor Rell then added to the problem by not funding pensions sufficiently. https://www.nhregister.com/news/article/Critics-blast-Rell-s-quick-fixes-on-pension-11601909.php.
Under Lamont, the state pension fund is now 55%, up from 38% funded 8 yrs ago. https://ctmirror.org/2024/12/02/ct-reports-progress-on-underfunded-state-employee-pension-funds/?fbclid=IwY2xjawI2lMNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYY9Uck-xrbCADsMSj-n21clgNITj9jgl4y270jmF3K5dqprJGSBekiAIQ_aem_y9on_PhOa9kgdZo5I0blPg
Clearly, GOP mismanagement and corruption got us here. As Americans watch with horror Trump take a wrecking ball to the stock mkt, economy and upending the world order, and destroying our alliances with NATO, Canada, etc, to embrace Putin instead, we all deserve to know whether we are electing yet another cowardly, enabling Republican who will be silent in the face of a pro-corruption administration (which has, inter alia, suspended enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, suspended enforcement of anti-money laundering laws, and now instructed intelligence agencies to cease monitoring Russian cyber security violations and election interference.)
good for CT, and as much as CT impacts USA, good for USA if she does become Governor (if Ned Lamont chooses not to run again, if he does and she becomes GOP candidate CT will have a tough choice between 2 excellent candidates to make)
Tooker is obv a unifier, she noticeably put together a team of unifiers to manage Westport when her opponents were banking on their divisiveness to defeat and undermine her.
add that ‘unify’ ethos with what her aiming to keep govt spending and waste down while improving quality of what govt does provide … who wouldn’t vote for that combination? (and Lamont seems to be similar in those ways, i.e., again, if he runs again it will be a choice for CT voters between 2 excellent candidates).