After months of speculation, North Haven’s Democratic Town Committee (DTC) officially announced candidates for the town’s 2011 municipal election, including Walter Spader for First Selectman.

Spader, 37, was Connecticut’s Democratic Party communications director from 1996-2000 and currently serves as a lawyer with the Marcus Law Firm in North Branford. Completing the DTC’s selectman ticket is Alan Sturtz, North Haven’s tax collector in 2007-09.

Angela Flemming will run for town clerk/tax collector while William Gambardella will run for town treasurer, a civic role he filled in 2007-09.

For the Board of Education, Jennifer Caldwell and Martin Piccirillo will seek six-year terms, while Kristen Brandt will challenge for a two-year term.

DTC chairman Peter Criscuolo said filling out a ballot was difficult, given North Haven’s political climate. “I want to thank the candidates who put themselves out there. Between the media and people taking shots at people all the time, it was very difficult to get candidates,” he said at the Democrats’ July 19 meeting, before disclosure of nominations. “Between busy working schedules and people giving up their time in this tough economy, we really appreciate the candidates,” he said.

In his nomination acceptance speech, Spader also referenced North Haven’s sometimes-caustic political atmosphere. “We need to change the culture of discourse in town,” he said. “I’m not talking about quashing dissent. I mean that we have to present actual answers at public meetings.”

“I want to find common trends that hold us together in town,” he added. “I want to usher in a new era of Democratic Town Committee in town.”

Undeniably, playing a major role in the town’s political culture now is the long-running Republican blog The North Haven Way, where website author Chris Peterson and anonymous commentators analyze local politicians daily, and frequently in critical terms. “The rhetoric in politics can be a dark place sometimes,” Spader said, before acknowledging Peterson, who was in attendance. “I see Chris back there. Unfortunately, I think that’s the North Haven way.”

An interesting dynamic in the 2011 election could be Spader’s relationship with The North Haven Way. Of all DTC members, he would seem to have among the best rapport with Peterson, who has a history of supporting Spader when blogging about local liberals. In 2009’s municipal election, every candidate Peterson backed on his blog won.

While Spader did not mention any specific leadership areas he would focus on in regard to current First Selectman Michael Freda, who took office in 2009’s Republican sweep, he hinted at scrutiny of Freda’s performance record. “I want to usher in an honest debate,” Spader said, “Are we better off today than we were two years ago? Have promises that were made been kept?”

For the first time in over two decades, Steve Fontana will not be part of the DTC’s ballot. “I want to thank Fontana for his service to the town,” Spader said in his speech.

Earlier that night, Fontana acknowledged James Hogan Jr., whose tenure as a Democratic BOE member would be ending. “We appreciate all his services to the town,” Fontana said. “He brought a distinct and important perspective to the board.”

Additional DTC candidates for 2011 include Francis Kruglik and Frank O’Connor for Board of Assessment Appeals; Joseph Cappuci, Carole Cruscuolo and Alan Fontana for constable positions; James Giulietti and Brian Cummings for four-year Planning and Zoning Commission terms; Marc Calafiore for a four-year Police Commission term; Joseph Cappuci for a four-year Zoning Board of Appeals term; Cheryl Juniewic and William O’Hare for four-year Zoning Board of Appeals alternate terms; and Criscuolo for Fire Commission.