On Tuesday, Nov. 4, Middletown residents and University students eligible to vote in Middletown will be able to cast their vote for mayor in the general election.
The winner of the mayoral race will fill the remaining duration of Former Mayor Ben Florsheim’s ’14 term. Florsheim, a University graduate, resigned this summer, two years into his second four-year term. Vying for his replacement are Democrat Gene Nocera and Republican Sebastian Giuliano, both lifetime Middletown residents.
On top of the mayoral race, nine candidates are running for four seats on the City’s Board of Education; six candidates are running for three seats on the Planning and Zoning Commission, with a two-person race for an alternate seat; and ballot measures appropriating $9.5 million and $33 million for water and sewer improvements and infrastructure projects, respectively, are up for approval.
When Florsheim stepped down, Nocera, then-President of the Middletown Common Council, took his place, becoming interim mayor of the City on June 16. Prior to his tenure on the Common Council, Nocera served as the Chair of the Middletown Public Works Commission and had a four-decade-long teaching career in Middletown.
Giuliano, who previously served as mayor from 2005 to 2011, is attempting to reclaim the office for the third time; he ran and lost races for the position in 2011 and 2019. In his most recent attempt, he was narrowly beaten by Florsheim by a margin of 417 votes. Giuliano has also served as an attorney and vice chairman of the South District Fire Commission.
“It wasn’t something I thought I’d do again,” Giuliano told the Middletown Press. Giuliano stated he only decided to run again given the remaining term is shortened, lasting only until November 2027 instead of the typical four years.
Both candidates have emphasized public and economic development as core focuses of their campaign platforms. As Common Council President, Nocera was involved in several projects that he intends to pursue further, among them the creation of riverfront housing. He also outlined a plan for improving the water and sewer department, the tradesmen building, and public parks.
“These are core facilities that have fallen by the wayside, and you can’t have a highly functional Public Works commission if you don’t have an infrastructure that is suitable for workers to work in and the equipment that they need,” Nocera told The Argus.
Nocera has advocated for raising the Middletown budget through alternative revenue sources in order to provide better services and prevent tax hikes, including by taxing the endowments of private universities.
Nocera, who has been critical of increased polarization under the Trump administration, cited concern over social conflicts. He attended the Middletown No Kings protest last Saturday.
Giuliano concurred, expressing concern with Middletown’s infrastructure. He has criticized what he views as a lack of recent development and has also noted the poor state of Middletown’s public parks. However, he has dismissed proposals to increase spending, saying that Middletown cannot sustain increases in taxation that would generate the necessary revenue to spend. Instead, he has emphasized the need for a growing tax base and fiscal stability.
Additionally, Giuliano has criticized the speed cameras in high-traffic areas of Middletown, which were installed earlier this year by Nocera. Giuliano said that they have “nothing to do with public safety and everything to do with collecting money.” If elected, he plans to eliminate them.
Middletown is a growing city of approximately 49,000 residents. The city tends to lean Democratic, and no Republican has held the city’s top position since Giuliano in 2011. Middletown also voted overwhelmingly for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in the 2024 national election, despite making a 5% rightward shift compared to 2020. Mayoral races, however, have historically been closely contested: Since 2009, 50% of races have been decided by fewer than 650 votes.
Sample ballots are available for preview on Middletown’s governmental website.
Early voting, which is held solely at Middletown’s City Hall, will continue through Sunday, Nov. 2; hours vary, but can be found here. On Election Day, voters will be able to vote at several polling locations across the city from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Aarushi Bahadur can be reached at abahadur@wesleyan.edu.
Leave a Reply