Meet the 2025 Democratic Candidates for Branford

Hard-Working Team

for Branford

  • Josh Brooks is a blue-collar small business owner, veteran, and community leader with deep roots in Branford.

    Since 2005, Josh has owned Brooks Stone, a Branford marine and masonry business specializing in stonework and coastal construction. 

    Josh has served on the Representative Town Meeting since 2007. He previously Josh spent nearly a decade as a Youth Outreach Worker for the town, mentoring countless young people. He also served on the Stony Creek Association and coached over 16 seasons of Branford youth sports.

    After 9/11 Josh signed up to serve his country. A U.S. Navy Reserve veteran who served for nine years, he was promoted to Petty Officer First Class and led junior sailors in law enforcement and security operations.

    Josh’s campaign for First Selectman is rooted in listening to everyone, rolling up your sleeves, working hard, and following through. He lives in Stony Creek with his wife, two daughters, and many pets.

  • Ray Dunbar currently serves as a member of the Branford Board of Selectman and has provided a lifetime of service to our town and country. Ray is a Navy veteran. He was one of Branford’s first EMTs, and a volunteer firefighter with Co. 5 in Stony Creek. Ray worked for the Branford Police Department for 34 years and recently retired as captain. Ray served as an elected member of the RTM from 1997-2005 and again from 2017-2019. Ray and his wife Cindy live in Stony Creek. They and their two daughters all graduated from the Branford School System.

  • Kurt Schwanfelder serves as Treasurer for the town. Prior to that he was an RTM First District Representative for 22 years, and during that time he held both the Majority and Minority positions as well as Chairman of the RTM Public Services Committee. He has also been a Police Commissioner, served as a member of the Board of Finance, and on the Board of Assessment Appeals. His more than 42 years of service has helped Kurt develop good relationships with town employees and leaders. Kurt is always available to listen to questions and concerns of Branford citizens and involve them in problem solving. Kurt was born and raised in Branford and has many family and business connections in the community. Kurt has been the owner and operator of Britain’s Automotive in Branford for over 50 years and he also owns and rents residential and commercial properties in town.

Board of Education

Isaak Aronson

Amanda Henry

Harlan Fichtenholtz

Dan Hally

Donna Laich

1st District RTM

  • Mark McCall, a resident of Branford's 1st District, lives with his wife Fiona and son Matthew. Mark is currently the resident technician with PARABIT for the state of Connecticut and all of New England. Mark holds a Diploma in Information Technology from Cambridge University London, a NYS License in Fire alarms, Burglar alarms and CCTV systems.

    Mark is a native born of Guyana, South America where he worked for 10 years within the aviation industry serving in every department from maintenance to management. After leaving the aircraft industry Mark started an overland tour company, Tours ‘R’ Us, which he ran until he migrated, taking clients into the amazon rainforest. During this time, he served on the tourism board for private operators and represented Guyana at many international trade shows.

    An avid outdoors person, who enjoys the rugged terrain, Mark's passion is sustainable development within the travel and hospitality industries. He looks forward to working with public and private stakeholders to develop Branford's outdoor life.

  • -Chief Science Officer at Branford bioscience company

    -Member of Economic Development Commission

    -Proud wife and mother of three children

2nd District RTM

  • -Born and raised in Branford

    -Studying biotech at Southern CT State University

    -Passionate about medical advancement, cancer research, and community service

    -Proud mom of two adopted dogs

  • Peter Hentschel, AIA, represents District 2 on the RTM. Peter is Chairman of Branford’s Coastal Vulnerability Working Group established by the Board of Selectmen in 2020. He serves on the Rules and Ordinances Committee and was instrumental in the recent passage of Branford’s Blight Ordinance, as well as ordinances establishing procedures for enforcing all Town ordinances, and amendments to the Town Boating Ordinance. He acts as a liaison between the Stony Creek Association, the RTM and Town staff.

    A graduate of both Yale University and the Yale School of Architecture. Peter was the co-founder of one of the state’s largest architectural firms, Tecton Architects in Hartford, a multi-disciplinary firm embracing new design technologies. A US Coast Guard licensed Ship-Master, Peter has participated in several international underwater archeological shipwreck excavations. He and his wife, Elizabeth, reside in Stony Creek.

3rd District RTM

Iryna Bonenberger, Democrat running for Branford's RTM in the 3rd District
Richard Jennings, Democrat running for Branford's RTM in the 3rd District

  • Over 20 years in journalism plus leadership roles in NGOs and international advocacy.

    Experienced in government transparency and humanitarian aid for Ukraine

    Active in community initiatives with her husband and two children.

    Passionate about government transparency, environmental stewardship, education, and the impact of local politics

  • Distinguished Healthcare Leadership: Directed large clinical & academic midwifery teams at Yale, Bellevue and UPenn.

    Commitment to Public Service: Long standing volunteer and professional experience serving diverse populations.

    Policy & Legislative Experience: Active in Midwifery & Women‘s Health Legislative efforts at the state & national level.

4th District RTM

  • • 22-year Branford resident 

    • Current 4th District Representative 

    • Retired 22-year employee of Yale 

    • Jefferson Woods Condo Executive Board 

    • Yale University Retiree Association Executive Board Member 

  • 3 time 4th District Representative 

    Healthcare professional & local volunteer 

    Attended University of Chicago 

    Mother of two boys who attended Branford schools 

    Passionate about education and the environment 

  • Dan is serving his third term on the RTM. He previously sat on the Administrative Services Committee and the Rules and Ordinances Committee. He currently serves as Vice-Chair to the Branford Democratic Town Committee and serves on the Board of Directors for the Community Dining Room.

    An attorney in private practice in New Haven, Dan served as a member on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven for over ten (10) years and served as President of the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Club of New Haven for five (5) consecutive years. Dan has also served on the Statewide Grievance Panel and provided pro­ bono work to clients for New Haven Legal Assistance.

    Dan is currently embarking in graduate work at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Public Leadership and Ethics. He has three children: a 26-year -old son and 23-year­ old boy/girl twins.

5th District RTM

  • Tracy Everson is the Majority Leader on the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) and in her third term working for Branford’s 5th District.

    Tracy lives in Branford Point on Mill Creek with her two Jack Russell Terriers. Her family has deep roots in town. She was baptized at Branford’s Trinity Church and the Everson family has summered in the Thimble Islands for four generations.

    Tracy is focused on proactively addressing Branford’s coastal vulnerabilities, given our town’s 20 miles of coastline and projected sea level rise of 20 inches by 2050. Tracy seeks to protect our town’s infrastructure like the sewage treatment plant and our fifth district’s low-lying neighborhoods such as Indian Neck, Pawson Park, Branford Point and the Branford river.

    Everson is a problem solver and a non-partisan advocate for all her constituents. Working in a bi-partisan way, she was instrumental in getting the state to conduct a Road Safety Audit in May 2022 of Rt. 146 in Indian Neck from the Branford River to Limewood Ave that lays out specific public safety and traffic congestion solutions including sidewalks. When a constituent reached out about dangerous speeding in Maple Street’s 25 mph zone, Tracy worked with the Branford police who installed a speed safety monitor reminding motorists of how fast they are going. Everson supports Branford residents concerned about the potential Tweed Airport expansion’s harmful impact on our health and environment, as well as the noise concerns of constituents who live near the Stony Creek Brewery.

    Always mindful of our senior citizens on fixed incomes, Everson fought for a zero percent tax increase in FY ‘24 because the town’s $30 million dollar undesignated fund balance more than doubled the amount recommended by the Board of Finance. When Branford received $8 million from the American Rescue Plan, she and her democratic colleagues asked residents for suggestions and urged them to speak up regarding the town’s use of the funds. The administration was asked to focus on the people and the impact COVID had financially in our community.

    Her professional background includes an award-winning 23-year career in journalism focused on politics and government in Westchester County and New York state. In 2009, she changed course, managing communications for two top elected women leaders in law enforcement and legislative/constituent services. She now shares her deep local knowledge with clients as a realtor with Century 21 AllPoints.

    Tracy Everson understands public service, and looks forward to continuing to listen and assist constituents as their representative.

  • Long before Abigail Adams and her dog Sheba moved around the corner from Branford’s astonishing Foote Memorial Park, she fell in love with the shoreline communities. Following generations of her mother’s family, she’s made her home here.

    She is a recently retired professor and department chair from Central Connecticut State University, where she also founded the university’s award-winning environmental sustainability program and community engagement/civic agency program. Abigail works now in outdoor education and will study this Fall with Connecticut’s Tree Warden Association. She volunteers with New Haven’s Sanctuary Kitchen and is a member of several non-profit boards, including the Friends Committee on National Legislation (a national nonpartisan Quaker lobby to advance peace, justice, and environmental stewardship) and New Britain (CT) ROOTS, which cultivates community connections and equitable food access, urban land stewardship, and agricultural education.

    As an anthropologist and lifelong Quaker --and parent!, Abigail has learned to work constructively and respectfully with people of many different backgrounds, perspectives and languages (she is fluent in English and Spanish). She will advocate for Branford’s equitable and smart development, above all protecting its breathtaking natural environment and its welcoming close-knit neighborhoods.

  • John and his wife Janet chose Branford as the perfect place to retire. They both enjoy watching the mix of commercial and pleasure boats on the Branford River, dining with friends at our great restaurants, and the welcoming attitude of everyone they’ve met.

    Since moving back to Connecticut in 2003, John has been deeply involved in community service. He has been active on the non-profit boards of a nature preserve, a private library, a historical society, and a state-wide pro-choice advocacy organization. He was elected to the Board of Finance in Westport, and he has been a leader on Democratic town committees where he has lived.

    John is a former banker and financial industry consultant, and he draws on his finance training, marketing, and customer service experience to contribute to a variety of local non-profits. After earning a Masters in Public and Private Management from Yale’s School of Management, he was a Vice President at Chase Manhattan Bank where he led service quality initiatives in the branch system and worked on international business development projects.

    Prior to grad school John lived in the Middle East for eleven years. There he met Janet, who was a teacher, and they both were active members of community theater groups. When their two children were young John coached boys and girls soccer, basketball, and baseball teams, and he took a boys soccer team to a national tournament.

    John believes deeply in the role of citizens in our local government, and if elected he promises to listen carefully and work collaboratively to make Branford an even better place to live.

  • Alex is a recent transplant to Branford with his wife and dog, Chase, who he fosters for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. He chose to move to Branford because of the beautiful landscape, but also the close-knit community feel that Branford offers.

    Alex currently works as an Academic Adviser/Credentialing Specialist and History Professor at Post University. Prior to Post University, Alex was an adviser at Western Connecticut State University. He also ran for the 66th District State House seat in 2018. When Alex isn’t working at Post, he helps run his non-profit, Connecticut Crossroads Project, which seeks to document the individual experience of people young and old to preserve the history of community through casual conversations.

6th District RTM

  • Nancy is currently on the RTM in the 6th District. She previously served as the first female Democratic Moderator of the RTM in the late 90s. Nancy was born and raised in New Haven and moved to Branford when she purchased her first home in 1978. She is the mother of one daughter, who was educated in the Branford public school system and graduated college with a degree in Elementary Ed. You can find Nancy backstage at the BHS musicals volunteering to do hair & make-up for the cast. She recently retired as a Chief Probation Officer after 31 years with the State of CT Judicial Branch. She holds a B.S. in Business and a M.S. in Criminal Justice Management. Nancy is environmentally conscious, has a great appreciation for the Police and Fire Departments and the public school system in town.

    • Executive Director of Regional Environmental Organization

    • Representative for 6th District for 15 years

    • MPA from UNH

    • Former member of Branford Stingrays Swim Team

7th District RTM

  • Current 7th District RTM Representative

    Serves on education committee

    Extensive legislative and advocacy experience in Hartford and Washington

    Long-time shoreline resident with Branford family connections

    Active volunteer in Branford community services

    Pet mom of “Max” a rescue from Cosgrove Animal Shelter

  • Susan Dahill currently represents the 7th District on the RTM. She and her family have lived in the 7th District (part and now full-time) for over 35 years. Although this is her first run for elected office, Susan has served as a town official in her previous home in New Canaan. She was appointed by two successive Republican First Selectmen, Dick Bond and Rob Malozzi, to serve as the Chairperson of the Emergency Services Commission. In that position, she chaired a committee that developed Emergency Preparedness Plans in the event of a pandemic outbreak. That plan was then modified and executed during the recent Covid 19 pandemic. In 2003, she received the New Canaan Volunteer Center Award for “Outstanding Adult Volunteer.” Susan’s business career was in Advertising in New York City. She has used the skills she learned there to advertise and promote non-profit ventures in both towns.

    In both her business and volunteer efforts, she has strived to learn as much as possible about the tasks and issues involved and then to develop and execute plans that meet the agreed upon objectives. She would bring these skills, along with a strong affection for the town and its citizens, to the RTM.

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