Groton Democratic Town Committee To Endorse Candidates Tonight

Groton’s Democratic Town Committee holds a meeting at 7 p.m. today in the Groton Public Library to endorse candidates for the upcoming municipal election.

All nine town council seats are up for re-election, as well as five seats for board of education and 41 seats for Representative Town Meeting. The Democratic-endorsed candidates are expected to include Elizabeth Gianacoplos, a longtime Republican and incumbent school board member who recently switched parties and will become a Democrat as of Aug. 9.

Both parties have until 4 p.m. on July 27 to endorse a slate of candidates, so if they do not choose a full slate tonight they can meet again.

By August 8, candidates must file a form with the town clerk stating whether they are forming a candidate committee or are on a slate of candidates being funded by a town committee.

The Democrats, headed by committee chairman Dave Ferreira, may nominate nine people to run for Town Council and five to run for school board.

Under rules requiring minority party representation, voters could elect all five to the Groton school board in November, because there is only one Democrat whose term is not up.

Representative Town Meeting is also governed by minority party representation rules, which vary depending on each district’s population.

The Town Council can be all of one party or another.