Looney & Duff: CT Voters Sent a Message, and It Was “Keep Going”
“Connecticut voters sent a clear message last night. They looked at what Senate Democrats have done: cut taxes for the middle class, took on the utility companies to lower electric bills, made child care more affordable, and paid down the state’s debt, and they gave us the largest Democratic State Senate majority ever.
“Others wrote off a lot of these races. We didn’t. We put more than half a million dollars from the Senate Democrats’ caucus PACs behind every single candidate in those districts that others never gave a chance. Tonight voters sent us Democratic senators from seats Republicans had held for decades: Carolann Reid in the 21st, Republican since 1966; Rob Blanchard in the 28th, the first Democrat to hold it since 1976; Aaron Zimmer in the 30th, the Senate Republican Leader’s own seat, the first Democrat to hold it since 1981; and David Kiner in the 7th and Ethan Werstler in the 35th, the first since 1992.
“We were proud to help bring these candidates into the race, having worked for over a year in some of these districts. They come from every walk of life: a retired union sheet metal worker, a musician who built his own record label, an educational nonprofit worker, a 26-year-old who fought hunger on his college campus, a local official who chaired her town’s finance board, and a senior advisor to Governor Lamont. Every one of them ran to make life more affordable for the people they’ll represent.
“For two years, Connecticut Republicans stood with a Trump regime that drove up costs, started a war that caused needless suffering, and slashed services in our state, then told people the pain wasn’t real. Voters knew better.
“We welcome our new senators to the caucus and congratulate Governor Lamont on his reelection. With a supermajority in the Senate and a Democratic supermajority in the House, we have a mandate to make Connecticut more affordable, and we intend to use it.”
-Senate President Pro Tempore Martin M. Looney (D-New Haven) and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) on the State Senate election results. With a recount pending in the 34th Senate District, Senate Democrats will hold at least 32 of the Senate’s 36 seats, the largest Senate Democratic majority since at least 1887.
Senator Looney, Connecticut’s longest-serving Senate President Pro Tempore, did not seek reelection and will retire in January after 46 years in the General Assembly.
The Senate Democrats held all 25 seats they held going into election day. The caucus also picked up at least 7 seats:
- the 7th Senate District, with David Kiner defeating John Kissel
- the 18th Senate District, with Joe de la Cruz defeating Heather Somers
- the 21st Senate District, with Carolann Reid defeating Jason Perillo
- the 28th Senate District, with Rob Blanchard defeating Amybeth Laroche for the open seat
- the 30th Senate District, with Aaron Zimmer defeating Senate Republican Leader Steve Harding
- the 35th Senate District, with Ethan Werstler defeating Jeff Gordon
- the 36th Senate District, with Jill Oberlander defeating Joe Kelly for the open seat
The Senate Democrats are waiting on a recount from:
- the 34th Senate District, Brandi Mandato and Paul Cicarella
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kevin Coughlin | 203-710-0193 | kevin.coughlin@cga.ct.gov
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