MERIDEN -- City Council Minority Leader Dan Brunet and We the People incumbent Bob Williams confirmed they were running for reelection ahead of the GOP's nominating convention next week.
Brunet and Williams join fellow Republican City Council member Ray Ouellet who announced plans earlier this year to run in November's race. Other council seats up for reelection include spots held by Democrats Yvette Cortez and Larue Graham and Deputy Mayor Bruce Fontanella.
Mayor Kevin Scarpatai, an uaffiliated candidate, has not publicly said if he will seek a sixth term. In 2023, Scarpati received the Democrats endorsement and the Republicans put up their own candidate. The 7-5 council makeup grants Scarpati veto power, something he has used to block a 2024 budget proposal and has threatened to use on several occasions since.
Councilors serve four-year terms, with six of the 12 seats contested every two years. Republicans have chipped away at the Democrats' majority one seat at a time since 2021.
Brunet serves Area 3, or the city's east side. He did not wish to make a public comment until after the GOP nominations next week; however, he said in 2023 he was pushing for at least tied representation.
"Each council evolves over time and this will be no different," Brunet said in 2023. "I certainly would've preferred six to six. But (7-5) does help in many ways."
Republicans are set to endorse and announce their nominees on July 16, said Republican Town Committee Chairwoman Elain Cariati.
"No information will be released before then," she added.
The Democrats currently hold seven seats on the City Council to the Republicans' four and We the People has one. Williams, who typically caucuses with Republicans said there are conversations underway with the Republican Town Committee for its endorsement. He has served on the council for 16 years. Williams represents Area 4, or south Meriden.
"There are a lot of people who have asked me to run," Williams said.
The Democrats are set to select and announce their candidates on July 17.
At-large Republican incumbent Ray Ouellet annnounced his intention to run again in an earlier interview.
Ouellet was the top Republican at-large vote getter in his first run in 2021.
"I like the way the direction the country is going," Ouellet said in that earlier interview about President Donald Trump's second inauguration. "Maybe Connecticut should, I don't know, look in the mirror. I'm here for the working class."
In 2023, Scarpati secured his fifth term in office by more than a thousand votes to Republican challenger Kurt Hourigan. Overall, the Democratic party maintained its majority over the council, though incumbent Democrat Krystle Blake lost to retired police captain Michael Zakrzewski, a Republican.
Current Deputy Mayor Fontanella is an at-large council member, who if nominated will run for a third term on the council. Fontanella was the top vote getter in his first election in 2017.
Democrat Yvette Cortez, who was appointed to fill a vacancy, won her first race in Area 1 in 2021. In that same year, Democratic incumbent Larue Graham won a close race against We the People challenger Joseph Carabetta III, who was crossendorsed by Republicans.
While Republicans held on to the school board in a 5-4 split, they lost one seat to the Democrats in 2023. Board of Education candidates with seats up for grabs include Sheri Amechi, Steven O'Donnell, Siobhan Maloney-Bazinet, Allen Pronovost, Kim Carbone-Pandiani.
City Clerk Michael Cardona said he has not received filings from incumbents or challengers. He expects to get them by the end of July.