Green party candidate rounds out six-person Stamford Board of Ed ballot

Jackie Pioli sits on her couch in her Stamford home as she talks about her struggle to get her son the special education she feels he needs on Tuesday, May 13, 2014. Jackie Pioli sits on her couch in her Stamford home as she talks about her struggle to get her son the special education she feels he needs on Tuesday, May 13, 2014. Photo: Lindsay Perry / Lindsay Perry Photo: Lindsay Perry / Lindsay Perry Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Green party candidate rounds out six-person Stamford Board of Ed ballot 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

STAMFORD — With less than two months until Election Day, a Green party candidate has entered the Board of Education race.

Rolf Maurer, who’s run for city office before, is vying for a seat on the Board of Education — a spot he previously aimed for in 2015, Town clerk Lyda Ruitjer confirmed this week.

There are also three Democrats running for one seat — including one who switched over from the Green Party —an addition to a race already rendered complex by two incumbents being kept off the Republican party ballot due to a filing error.

Jon Gallup, a city constable, and Jackie Pioli, an advocate for special education families in Fairfield County, are running as Democrats along with David Mannis, who is completing his first term on the board, and has been the chair for the past year.

Pioli, Gallup and Maurer would all be new to the board, but have tried to enter the Stamford political scene previously.

Maurer also unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2009, registrar of voters in 2016 and city constable on several occasions.

According to the Connecticut Green Party website, Maurer, has also run for state treasurer, representative and senate with the Green Party. He ran for state comptroller in 2014 and received 2 percent of the vote.

Maurer did not respond to an email asking for comment on his campaign.

Pioli previously ran as a Green Party candidate in last year’s Board of Education race and lost with 2,090 votes. The winning candidates, Betsy Allyn, Andy George and Jackie Heftman, all received more than 10,000 votes.

“I always was a Democrat prior to running on the Green Party ticket,” Pioli said. “The Green Party shares the same views, but I kind of went back to where my roots were. I’m putting in a lot of hard work.”

According to Democratic City Committee chair Josh Fedeli, Gallup, the third Democratic candidate, is running as a placeholder, but will not be actively campaigning for the seat.

“It’s a procedural move,” Fedeli said. “We protect that line on the ballot... The Democratic line is extremely valuable, particularly in Stamford. There are definitely people who will run as a Democrat to get elected but don't hold the ideology. We want to make sure those who do stay on party line want to build the city.”

erin.kayata@stamfordadvocate.com; (203) 964-2265; @erin_kayata