Weston's first selectwoman is on the Nov. 3 ballot for an open state Senate seat. Samantha Nestor, a Democrat in her third term running the town, faces Alma Sarelli, a Republican elected to Westport's Representative Town Meeting who is also on the Independent Party line, in the 26th District. Sen. Ceci Maher, the Democrat who holds the seat now, is not on the ballot.
On housing and growth, Nestor's platform points to Weston's own rezoning of its town center to allow more housing, and the lesson she says came from it: "if we don't make it profitable for builders to build, lots remain undeveloped." Sarelli's platform says she would "respect zoning decisions" and see that any growth in Weston is "shaped by local voices, not imposed by Hartford." Both say they would seek more state money for special education.
The two did not meet at the League of Women Voters of Westport debate that had been set for Tuesday, Oct. 13. "The Republican candidate's campaign informed the League that she will not participate," Sustainable Westport, which partnered with the League and Earthplace on the debate, said on its notice of the cancellation. "League rules require at least two eligible candidates to proceed."
The 26th District includes Weston, Westport, Wilton, Redding, Ridgefield, New Canaan, Darien and Stamford, according to Maher's page on the Senate Democrats' site.
Samantha Nestor
Nestor was elected to Weston's Board of Education in 2017, then to the Board of Selectmen, and in 2021 to first selectwoman, according to her campaign site. The site says she brought more than $36 million in grants to the town, and that before taking office she worked in marketing, communications and publishing and ran her own communications business. She is a graduate of Cornell University.
She won the Democratic endorsement in May, and state Rep. Lucy Dathan, who had challenged her for the nomination, later dropped her primary bid, as we reported on the town's middle school plans. At the Sept. 24 joint meeting on that project, Nestor stepped away from the meeting while the boards discussed hiring help to lobby the legislature for a higher reimbursement rate, "just as an abundance of caution, just in case I might be your legislator," she said.
Her campaign calls her "a candidate who has sat on the receiving end of state policy." She says she would work to lower administrative costs for builders "without sacrificing environmental or regulatory compliance," and take "a holistic approach to growth" that adds affordable housing while making sure infrastructure can handle more density.
On energy, she says she would push for more money for programs that help people pay their bills, and that the state needs to "double down on renewable energy sources." On health care, she says she would "hold insurers accountable."
Alma Sarelli
Sarelli, an immigrant from Albania, has lived in Connecticut for 17 years, according to her campaign site. The site says she and her husband run a national event entertainment production company, that she serves on four Representative Town Meeting committees, including Education and Planning and Zoning, and that she is a Westport justice of the peace and has been president of Neighbors & Newcomers of Westport for four years. She ran for state representative in the 136th House District in 2022, according to her site and state election filings.
The Republican Party endorsed her on May 19, and the Independent Party's state central committee endorsed her on Aug. 30, according to her campaign's release.
Her campaign slogan is "Meet Me in the Middle." Her campaign site says she is running "to make Connecticut more affordable, protect local control, and preserve educational excellence for every child."
For Weston, her platform says, "Alma will fight for local control, oppose unfunded mandates, and push for more responsible state support for education and special education."
The money
Both candidates qualified for public financing through the Citizens' Election Program, the state's voluntary system that gives grants to legislative candidates who raise enough small donations and stop fundraising. A state Senate candidate can receive up to $131,155. The State Elections Enforcement Commission found Nestor eligible on July 29 and Sarelli on Sept. 23.
Through Oct. 20, Nestor's committee, Sam in 26, had reported spending about $132,500 and had about $27,100 left. Sarelli's committee, Alma 2026, had reported spending about $50,200 and had about $102,600 left, according to the commission's filing records. Nestor's committee reported spending about $30,900 from Oct. 1 to Oct. 20; Sarelli's reported none.
How to vote
Early voting runs through Sunday, Nov. 1, in the Town Hall Meeting Room, 56 Norfield Road, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with longer hours, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., on Thursday, Oct. 29. Voters can register the same day during early voting hours. On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, polls are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the Weston Middle School gym; the entrance is at the back of the school, according to the Registrar of Voters.
The rest of Weston's ballot, including the race for the 135th House District and the three charter questions, is in our ballot story.