Norwalk Republican registrar of voters stepping down after all

Karen Doyle Lyons, Norwalk”™s embattled Republican registrar of voters, has agreed to step down from that position effective July 20.

News broke last week about comments that Lyons had made on her Facebook page that were considered racist by various city officials and the local NAACP, among others.

“No more Black History Month because many of us know more then (sic) many Blacks,” she wrote, later claiming that her intention was to encourage people to learn about black history year-round.

Having held the post since 2000, Lyons originally indicated she would resign, in accordance with demands from Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling, Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, Democratic state Sen. Bob Duff, and others. She then indicated she would retire on July 20, and filed papers with the city to that effect, only to rescind that decision.

Rilling said the city still planned to terminate Lyons on July 20. Lyons has now agreed to leave her post on that date.

As a result, she will be removed from November”™s ballot. The Republican Town Committee is now searching for a replacement candidate.