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Letter to the Editor: Division is Not Leadership

September 5, 2025
–
Vinny Scicchitano, Republican candidate for Mayor

I am deeply disturbed to learn that my opponent, Barbara Smyth, has chosen to mail out a postcard to residents filled with divisive messaging that uses my image. As a resident, a dad, a husband, and son, placing my image in what’s being marketed as a pool of divisiveness is not only disheartening—it is incredibly unsafe for my wellbeing and my families. This is irresponsible and a disgrace coming from an elected official.

It is painful to see someone use such extreme negativity as a tool for political gain. This kind of campaigning is a clear attempt to incite confusion and hate, and it has no place in Norwalk.
Norwalk deserves better. Our community is built on respect, collaboration, and pride in the city we call home. True leadership should bring people together, not tear us apart.

I love this city, and I know we are stronger when we choose unity over conflict and focus on solutions and the issues. This has gone too far. Norwalk deserves leadership grounded in respect, compassion, and progress—not in inciting hate.

Just because I am a Republican does not mean I align with every national figure or agenda. My focus is NOT on party lines, it’s on Norwalk. I see neighbors, families, and a community that deserves leadership rooted in respect and solutions.

Leadership isn’t about party politics; it’s about people. If my opponent only sees the world through partisan lines, then she’s exactly what’s wrong. Norwalk deserves a broader vision, not narrow thinking.

The bonds that connect us will always be stronger than the words that divide us.

Vinny for Norwalk.

Vinny Scicchitano
2025 Mayoral Candidate

Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of NancyOnNorwalk.

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Comments

11 responses to “Letter to the Editor: Division is Not Leadership”

  1. Tysen Canevari

    I couldn’t agree more Vinny. You have a lot of class to not lose it over this. Then again, thats exactly what they want you to do. Of course Senator Duff is behind this smear campaign all the way. His gravy train of lobbyists control will be ended if Barbara doesn’t get in. Darlene, Mr Kydes, and Vinny have minds of their own. Do we think it is a coincidence Barbara has over 80k in her kitty and the rest have substantialy less. We need new leadership and professionalism in Norwalk. We have suffered long enough with the green initiative and other wasted projects. BTW. Not one solar panel on the new South Norwalk School all you environmentalists. Where is the protesting at city hall like when u wanted backpacks banned? Comical

  2. Paul Lanning

    Ms. Smyth isn’t your opponent yet.

  3. Fred Wilms

    Barbara – I cannot believe you put this out. Really???

    Fred Wilms

  4. Helena Brown

    This was really gross to see and receive in my mailbox. Unoriginal and not relevant.

  5. Paul Lanning

    Whoever sent this flyer apparently doesn’t know that publishing a person’s photo withour their consent is grounds for a big lawsuit.

  6. Broderick Sawyer

    Thank you, Vinny, you said it yourself; True leadership should bring people together, not tear us apart. That is not what we are seeing from the current administration. In fact, it is the opposite we are getting torn apart. In reading some of the comments on many posts, I don’t understand why the recent mailer is such an issue. Just my two cents, using a little critical thinking.
    First — I know Vinny from my time in the Norwalk Fire Marshal’s office. I believe he’s a good guy and I don’t have any personal issues with him. That said, logically, is what’s on the mailer true?
    Please correct me if I’m wrong — I’d rather not spread misinformation; that’s a huge problem these days. From what I found, in Norwalk in 2024 approximately 14,500 Republicans voted for Trump (this includes 177 for RFK — norwalkct.gov). Those same Republicans chose Vinny as their candidate for mayor twice.
    So, the mailer’s implication — that Vinny (shown in the picture) is associated with the current administration (the “company you keep”) and might bring that agenda to our community — isn’t unreasonable. Unless you tell us otherwise, Vinny, the mailer makes sense. Since local Republicans chose you twice and also supported the current Washington administration, that perception follows.
    If you aren’t in step with your voters, how do you win? Often candidates “go along to get along.” Given the information at hand, it makes sense that you’d be included on the mailer in the way it’s presented.
    Obviously, it’s none of my business who anyone personally voted for in recent years, but it would be helpful if you publicly stated your position — for example, that you do not support bringing the current administration’s policies to Norwalk under your leadership. Transparency is a great start.
    So — is the mailer wrong?

  7. Mike Mushak

    I don’t understand the angry reaction to this totally reasonable political flyer. Vinny is a Republican. Over 90% of Republicans approve of Trump including his fascist and corrupt policies. What am I missing here?

    If Vinny is embarrassed by being identified with leading figures of his own party, why is that? We need to know more about Vinny’s positions on all of the national issues that affect every Norwalker every single day, for example Trump’s insisting on tariffs that increase the costs of groceries and cars, cutting abortion access and women’s healthcare, eliminating education funding, rewriting history in our museums to make slavery a job-training program, attacking immigrants of color on the streets including US citizens, stopping all wind and solar projects (to help his billionaire oil-pumping friends) that will make all of our electricity bills go up higher than they are, using our military against our own citizens but only in blue states that actually have lower crime rates than red states, cutting Medicaid and food stamps and crucial medical research to pay for tax cuts to billionaires, increasing prescription drug prices, eliminating environmental regulations that protect our air and water quality, gutting consumer protections, attacking unions, pardoning rioters who violently attacked and injured cops while trying to overthrow our government, cutting vaccine access, throwing Ukraine under the bus to help his buddy Putin, running a crypto business while taking secret payments from foreign entities, etc. etc.

    In fact, on every single issue that affects all of us we need clarity from the Republican candidate for mayor. We mostly know where all the other candidates stand on these issues already, so this is only fair. You can’t be a Republican in 2025 and pretend Trump and his corrupt obedient cheerleaders in Congress simply don’t exist. Just tell us what you support and what you don’t support in the Trump agenda, and enough with the pretend outrage over a simple and factually accurate flyer.

  8. Bryan Meek

    By the logic of some here it would be perfectly acceptable to associate some candidates with the likes of a Harvey Weinstein and other notables even though they have never met them or held their values personally or even publicly. Few are buying the tactics. Most see right through them. The need to broadbrush opposition wreaks of a desperate move to deflect from the gross mismanagement of the city.

  9. Fred Miranda

    “Just because I am a Republican does not mean I align with every national figure or agenda. “

    But you voted for it. Which IMO calls into question your judgement. Worse, now you’ll twist yourself into a pretzel to distance yourself but not outright deny it lest you lose a voting bloc.

  10. John O’Neill

    A few things need to be clarified above — Regarding Energy Policy. I’m guessing that 95% of NON readers do not understand the cost of Electric from Wind Farms. Why? Because, our legislators seemed to have forgotten to tell us. For the record, Electric from Wind Farms is 4x more expensive that clean Natural Gas. I can’t imagine why we haven’t been educated about this??
    Immigration — While I think Trump’s policies are going overboard, the question is why we’re in this place to start with. Could it be Bernie Lomax’a policies of Non-Vetted open borders..Maybe just a little??
    Medicaid and Food Stamps — For those of us not on a Gov’t sponsored healthcare program ACA is not so affordable. Yes, maybe we can do better, but lack of enforcement is certainly not the answer…Has anyone been to Portland lately?
    Yes, Republican policies are not a panacea. Not by a long shot — But, to think Democrats have clean hands here is not reality.
    It’s a shame Revaluation Tax effect has been phased in over a 4 year period. Norwalk Taxpayers might understand better how things really are..
    Maybe we should concentrate on local, before we argue about Fed Policies that both Dems and Republicans have gotten wrong…

  11. Thomas Belmont

    You have my vote, Vinny but I confess I’m content with the President and his policies and I support him. I voted for Donald Trump all the three times he ran, and he won all three times. We suffered Biden, his Open Borders, his corrupt use of the DOJ, his asinine order to depart Afghanistan, his issuing thousands of dollars of Monopoly money to everyone that destroyed the economy creating a 10% inflation after the first year, discovering he was part of the Treasonous Russia,Russia, Russia, coupe attempt to destroy the Trump Presidency, his openly corrupt use of The USA dealing with foreign nations mostly to benefit his own family with foreign money, stealing confidential documents for years, and the list goes on.
    Of course my primary concern is what gives in Norwalk. I want to stay here.in Norwalk I don’t want to sell and move. Yes, the revalue schedule is the frog in the slow boiling water. Yes, it presents to us a crisis. Yes, it appears our local government does not have much concern or Respect for the taxpayer. Yes, local government prioritizes illegal alien housing, healthcare and amenities. Yes, the old pan handler education confiscates most of the tax money. Yes, education to our youth despite the money is still wanting for real learning. Yes, the city is my landlord; raising the rent (property tax) each year until I have to worry about paying life sustaining bills. Yes, this and more. My eyes and ears are open to reality.

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