Smyth, Young Vie for Votes in Democratic Primary Debate

NORWALK, Conn. — The two Democratic mayoral candidates, Barbara Smyth and Darlene Young, faced off in a debate Thursday at the Norwalk Public Library’s Main Branch auditorium.

The Common Council colleagues debated questions from moderator Mark Berns, a former AP journalist and current NancyOnNorwalk board president. The questions were curated from reader submissions and developed by the NancyOnNorwalk Board.

According to timekeeper records, Young exceeded her allotted time five times, for a total of 2 minutes and 5 seconds, while Smyth went over twice, for a total of 35 seconds.

The debate was streamed live on Zoom and uploaded to YouTube.

Debate Highlights

Young often extrapolated from her 30 years of civic experience while having worked under four mayors from both major parties. She said that from her first year of service up until the present day, when she sees a need, she fights for it and finds ways to get the job done.

She cited her involvement in providing employment opportunities for young people by running the Weed and Seed initiative. As Council president, she implemented committee reviews of department budget requests before they were submitted to the mayor, which led to the council having more engagement in the budget process. She emphasized that her recommendation to the charter revision commission will be on the upcoming ballot.

“We must usher in a new era of innovation to solve our city’s most complex challenges, and this requires a commitment to collaborative, community-driven leadership,” said Young. “During my leadership role in Norwalk over the past three decades, I have always been willing to challenge the status quo and fight for what’s right, along with people of this community.”

Smyth said the stakes for this election are high. She said that Norwalk needs an experienced leader with the grit, determination, and compassion to guide the city through difficult times. She cited her efforts in city reorganization, ending backdoor deals under previous Republican administrations. She cited improvements to Norwalk’s roads, drainage, and wastewater systems, and the expansion of the city’s tree canopy. She also highlighted her role in leading major school construction and facility upgrades.

“I’m running to be your mayor, because Norwalk’s future is too important to leave to chance. I care about our residents, I love this city, and I’m ready to fight for the kind of community we leave to our children, grandchildren, and future generations,” said Smyth. “I want future generations of Norwalkers to feel the same way and to know they can afford to build their lives here.”

Young said that Norwalk needs to be honest about where the community is regarding the ICE situation. She said she thinks that city officials and concerned citizens are committed to keeping Norwalk’s residents safe. She added that everyone needs to be honest and clear about the city’s role and what everyone realistically can do. She said the community needs to stand up for each other and to bear witness to ICE activities. She emphasized that it does not end when ICE detains people, as there is more work to be done to help the affected families.

“I will fight for that. I will risk what it takes, what I need to protect people,” said Young. “Because this is wrong. It’s evil, and we’ve got to fight that.”

Smyth said that public transportation is an area where Norwalk needs to improve. She said that Norwalk must continue investing in sidewalks and safe, complete streets, which will lead to people feeling safe to walk, bike and get out of their cars. She stated that city officials are working on that, but Norwalk has a long way to go.

“We all live in this horrible traffic situation all throughout the city. It’s everywhere. I think that there are some things that we can do. One is relying on technology to improve a couple of things,” said Smyth. “One, the timing of our lights. We haven’t had a good look at the timing of our lights in years. So that’s something that I will do right off the bat.”

Amid both candidates vying for votes and attempting to differentiate themselves were lighthearted moments. Often, the councilwomen concurred on various points while focusing on how their experience and approach would differ if elected mayor. After answering a question regarding what the candidates admired about each other, they and the room laughed when Berns said he assumed there was no need for rebuttals.

Another moment of lightheartedness was when Young segued from an explanation regarding the Common Council and the Board of Education needing better transparency with the public by informing those in attendance that her shoes gave out.

“I’m just going to be transparent right now. I can do that, can I?” asked Young. “Because I believe in transparency and honesty. My heel’s broken.”

She remarked, jokingly, “That’s what I get for putting on new shoes,” while joining in on the laughter.

The debate lasted for roughly an hour. Both candidates had four minutes for their opening statements. Candidates had two and a half minutes to respond to questions, followed by a 1½-minute rebuttal. A coin toss determined the order, with Young going first, followed by Smyth. Their closing remarks were also flipped.

The questions revolved around school budget reallocations, property taxes, traffic congestion, immigration, and more. The entire debate can be found on NoN’s YouTube.

When to Vote

Early voting is already underway for the Sept. 9 Democratic primary. Norwalk Democrats will have an opportunity to decide which of the city councilwomen will replace Mayor Harry Rilling after 12 years in office. Whoever wins the party’s nomination will go on to face Vinny Scicchitano, John Kydes, and Erik Vitaglione in the general municipal election on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.

Editor’s note: Because Managing Editor Ashley RK Smith introduced the debate and helped organize the event, reporter Jacob Waring provided coverage to ensure balance. NancyOnNorwalk is grateful for his work in bringing readers a fair account.