By D.M. Livingston

Published Nov 5, 2025

Updated Nov 7, 2025

Waterbury, CT— The Republican Town Committee, led by Chair Dawn Maiorano, entered Election Night with hopes of flipping the Democratic majority in City Hall. But while her “Real Republican” slate made gains, the final results fell just short of shifting the balance of power.

Three candidates from Maiorano’s team — Adrian Sanchez (5th District), Kelly Zimmerman (3rd District), and Mike Grosso (1st District) — successfully won seats, marking notable victories for the faction. However, Sanchez’s win came at the expense of fellow Republican Jack Alseph, who lost his 5th District seat, effectively resulting in a “minus one, plus one” outcome that left overall representation unchanged.

In the 3rd District, Abigail Diaz came within 42 votes of a seat, but would have replaced Zimmerman, meaning no net gain for the RTC. Similarly, Jameson Stock fell short by 45 votes, but would have only replaced Grosso — again maintaining the same count.

Meanwhile, Republicans who split from Maiorano’s “Real Republican” slate managed to hold ground elsewhere. Longtime Alderman George Noujaim, the first to publicly distance himself from Maiorano’s team, retained his seat in the 4th District. In the 2nd District, a recount is scheduled for Thursday, where incumbent Minority Leader Ruben Rodriguez stands at 411 votes and Bryan McEntee, another Republican not aligned with Maiorano, holds 412 — a razor-thin margin that could shift once more.

Waterbury Republicans Fall Short in Attempt to Flip City Hall Majority

What It Means for City Hall

When the dust settles, the “Real Republicans” under Maiorano’s leadership will hold three seats — Sanchez, Zimmerman, and Grosso.
The breakaway Republicans — Noujaim and potentially McEntee (pending recount) — will hold two.

On the Democratic side, Mayor Pernerewski’s team retained eight seats, with two additional Democrats, Martinez-McCarthy and Roman-Feliciano, running and winning independently of the Mayor’s slate.

Those four independent-minded alders — Noujaim, McEntee (if confirmed), Martinez-McCarthy, and Roman-Feliciano — now become the most pivotal votes in City Hall. Their decisions could transform an 8–3 partisan vote into a tight 8–7 contest or even swing toward a 12–3 consensus, depending on the issue.

In a year defined by party fractures and razor-thin margins, one thing is clear — the balance of power in Waterbury will depend less on party lines and more on who’s willing to work together.

The Waterbury Times will continue to monitor the 2nd District recount and upcoming Board of Aldermen developments.

Update- Bryan McEntee- Declared Winner of 2nd District – Waterbury BOA – after recount