Politics & Government

Martin Olsen Confirmed For RTC City Council Slate

Last ceremonial mayor will take spot among Republican candidates after RTC decides not to fill vacancy

New London's last ceremonial mayor will appear as a Republican candidate for City Council this November after the party decided against filling a vacancy on the slate.

Martin T. Olsen will automatically take the place of Gordon Videll, who dropped out of the race last month. Videll said he took the action in part because he considered himself to be a placeholder on the Republican Town Committee's slate to allow them time to find additional candidates.

Olsen expressed an interest in appearing on the RTC slate for the City Council, but was not chosen when the party nominated its candidates. George Sprecace, a member of the RTC, asked members not to nominate Olsen because he felt Olsen had not complied with the formal positions of the party.

Olsen recently sent a petition to the Secretary of State's Office to force a primary election on the slate. Bill Vogel, chairman of the RTC, said Olsen's petition means the decision not to nominate another candidate to replace Videll will cancel the primary preparations and automatically include Olsen on the ballot.

"All Republican candidates plan to work as a team to help the city overcome the many city-wide problems caused since the last municipal election," said Vogel, who is also a City Council candidate.

Olsen served two terms on the City Council between 1987 and 1991 and an additional two terms between 2009 and 2011, serving as ceremonial mayor between 2010 and 2011. After the change in government from a city manager to a strong mayor, Olsen unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2011.

“It’s good for the slate, it’s good for the party, and it’s good for the city," Olsen said of the party's decision. "I don’t think a primary would have been healthy, and the city couldn’t really financially support it.”

In addition to Vogel and Olsen, the RTC slate for City Council includes Marie Friess-McSparran - an incumbent councilor nominated by the RTC after the Democratic Town Committee did not include her on their slate - as well as Dennis Downing, Mike Doyle, Keith Robbins, and Katelin Teel.

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