What a difference a year makes.  One year ago, the Democrats were riding the coattails of a popular presidential candidate, as he took title to the highest office in the land.  Tuesday’s results shattered his party’s hope that that momentum would continue into this year’s municipal elections.

One of the biggest surprises in the race for First Selectman was the defeat of Ray Baldwin, a three-term incumbent democrat in Trumbull by Tim Herbst.  A 29 year old republican, Mr. Herbst, who holds the title of the youngest person ever to be elected to office in the town, is the current chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission.  At press time, the unofficial tally gave Mr. Herbst a 10 per cent lead over the incumbent, 55 percent to 45 per cent of the vote.

The GOP also won majorities on the Town Council, the Board of Education and the Board of Finance.  The only seats the democrats won were those seats allocated under the rules governing minority representation.

Republicans also took the First Selectman’s office in Monroe with the election of Stev Vavrek over the democrat incumbent Tom Buzi.  As had Trumbull, Monroe republicans swept to majorities in the Town Council, Board of Education and Board of Finance. Democrats won only those seats reserved for minority representation.

In Stratford, incumbent democrat Jim Miron, the town’s first mayor, lost in a landslide vote to the State Representative for the district, John Harkins.  The unofficial tally gave Mr. Harkins 54 per cent of the vote to Mr. Miron’s 29 per cent.There were two independent candidates including Dominic Costello who garnered 17 per cent.

There has been much controversy surrounding Mayor Miron’s first term, much of it involving the police and fire departments – whose unions supported the republican challenger.

In other races, after 14 years of democratic leadership in Stamford, republican Mike Pavia won handily (55 percent to 43 per cent) over democrat David Martin for the office of Mayor. The city’s longest serving mayor, Dan Malloy, who is seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor, did not seek reelection.

Newtown voters not only put republican Pat Liodra into the First Selectman’s chair, it also gave the republicans majority control of the Board of Education and the Legislative Council.

In Bethel, the election of democratic challenger Matt Knickbocker over two term incumbent Bob Burkes, seems to have extinguished the campaign fireworks Mr. Knickerbocker won four of the five voting districts.

Reelected to office were First Selectman Tom Herrmann- R of Easton; Mayor Mark Boughton – R of Danbury; First Selectman Maror Mark Lauretti – R of Shelton; First Selectman Peter Tesei – R of Greenwich; Mayor Richard Moccia – R of Norwalk; First Selectman Gordon Joseloff – D; First Selectman David Campbell – R of Darien; First Selectman Jeb Walker – R of New Canaan; and First Selectman Natalie Ketcham – R of Redding.