Southington Democrats Prefer Lamont, Bronin in Primary Election

PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTO

At around 10:45 Tuesday night, as the Southington Town Clerk’s office was wrapping up its vote counting for the Democratic primary, local networks had already called the results, projecting that Ned Lamont would win the Democratic nod for governor, while Luke Bronin would be the Democrats’ choice to represent the First Congressional District.

Southington’s Democrats joined those around the state in handing Governor Lamont a resounding victory. Of the 2,435 votes cast in town, 1,704, or 70%, went for Lamont, while 731, or 30%, were for Elliott. The numbers are roughly in line with the statewide percentages, which were initially reported as 67% for Lamont and 33% for Elliott.

Lamont will now face off against the Republican nominee, State Senator Ryan Fazio, this November, while his progressive challenger Elliott will continue to represent the Hamden area in the House. Fazio brings a new face and energy to the statewide race, but faces an uphill battle against the two-term governor, who, despite the Eversource controversy and voter concerns about the cost of living, is said to be the nation’s fourth most popular governor.

Perhaps the most surprising result of the evening was Bronin’s strong showing against Larson, who has been in Congress for the past 27 years. In Southington, Bronin received 1,375 votes, versus Larson’s 801. That 57% to 33% margin was in line with the statewide numbers, which were initially reported as 54% and 33%.

The other two challengers lagged far behind, with State Rep Jillian Gilchrest getting 147 or 6% of Southington Democrats’ votes, and Hartford Board of Education Member Ruth Fortune receiving 94 or 4%.

Larson’s defeat made national headlines, as the seventh Democratic incumbent to lose a primary contest this election cycle. Bronin, the former two-term mayor of Hartford, narrowly won the backing of the party at its convention, and parlayed that into a decisive primary win. Whether Bronin or his Republican opponent Amy Chai wins in November, it seems almost certain that Connecticut will no longer have a voice on Congress’ powerful Ways and Means Committee.

Since Southington has 6,607 registered Democrats and only Democrats were eligible to vote in yesterday’s primary election, the 2,435 votes cast represent a 37% voter turnout.

Tensions at Town Council Meeting over Board of Finance Appointment

Town Attorney Louis Martocchio III addresses Town Council. TOWN OF SOUTHINGTON VIDEO SCREENSHOT

On Monday, the controversy surrounding the appointment of Robert Britton to the Board of Finance was once again on the agenda, this time at Town Council.

It was the Council that unanimously voted Britton onto the Board of Finance on July 13, to fill the spot left by the death of Edward Pocock Jr. However, leadership for the town Democratic Party subsequently challenged the appointment, saying that giving the decision to the Council goes against the Town Charter.

Section 208 of the charter deals with vacancy appointments. The online copy of the charter does not clarify who is responsible for filling sudden vacancies on the Board of Finance, but it does appear to state that the town council does not have the authority to appoint a new member.

“Vacancies and elective offices, except in the Board of Education, the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Board of Finance, from whatever cause arising, shall be filled by the council for a period until the next town election,” it reads.

However, during Monday’s meeting, Town Attorney Louis Martocchio III asserted that the appointment was legal.

“I want to make clear, as I did in my opinion, which I think has been shared with a lot of people, that I do believe the Town Council had the authority [to make the appointment],” said Martocchio.

Martocchio explained that, in 2000, the Library Board was changed from an elected board to an appointed board, which made it necessary to remove mention of that board from the text of Section 208. In the process of making that change, other alterations were introduced into the text that left it incomplete and potentially unclear.

In 2009 and 2010, Martocchio went on, the Town Council appointed two individuals to the Board of Finance, including Pocock, and no issues with the process or charter were raised. 

Furthermore, in 2010, Southington residents voted on a referendum question that read, "Shall Section 208 of the Southington Town Charter be amended to allow vacancies in elective offices to be filled by the board or commission with such vacancy?" 8,906 Southington residents voted against boards appointing their own members, while 5,897 voted for it. This, Martocchio argued, clearly indicated that it was the will of the people to have Town Council fill such vacancies.

Chris Palmieri, leader of the Democrats on the Council, said that his party was pursuing legal remedies regarding the issue.

“That's [Martocchio’s] opinion, and there's other opinions. So again, I'm not going to comment on the legal matter,” said Palmieri.

Chairman Paul Chaplinsky, a Republican, reiterated the points made by Martocchio.

“To restate what the town attorney said, in 2010, there was a referendum question that went to the electorate that said, ‘Shall all elected vacancies be appointed by their own boards?’ And that went to referendum, and the voters voted on that and resoundingly said no, it should stay with the current language. So that's kind of where we are,” said Chaplinsky.

Earlier in the meeting, Chaplinsky and Palmieri engaged in what at times was a heated back-and-forth over the way the town accounted for $833,934 in state aid, although no new information was brought to light during the exchange.

Councilors Palmieri and Chaplinsky discuss the state aid. AVERY MARTIN PHOTO

Aside from the controversies, there was more positive news for the Council to consider. Town manager Alex Ricciardone reported that the Finance Department closed the books on Depaolo Middle School renovations from over ten years ago.

“[The Finance Department] closed out the Depolo Middle School renovations from over 10 years ago. That grant from the State of Connecticut has been sitting in file cabinets for over 10 years. Initially, when we put in for the grant, the state was looking for over a six-figure reimbursement back to the town from ineligible costs. So they sent us a preliminary bill for well over $100,000. We dug in, got more information, pulled the meeting minutes, dug up boxes,” said Ricciardone.

The state is expected to send a $2.6 million dollar check to the town to fulfill the grant that paid for the 2013 renovations.

Former Rex Forge Facility Purchased for New Industrial Use

The abandoned Rex Forge complex on Atwater Street. PHILIP THIBODEAU PHOTO

The sudden closure of Rex Forge in February 2025 came as a shock to many in Southington. Not only did its one-hundred employees receive layoff notices, it also marked the end of a run for a company that, under various names, had been manufacturing metal parts in town for nearly 160 years.

That manufacturing tradition is about to be renewed, thanks to Meriden-based Cable Management, which recently finalized its purchase of the building at 335 Atwater Street and plans to expand its operations into the facility.

Cable Management, which was founded in 2007 by Ross Trudeau and is co-owned by Trudeau and Daniel Cotnoir, specializes in advanced metals recycling such as the recovery of copper from old coated wire. It also builds machines that perform recycling tasks.

“We’re planning on moving into the front part of the building during the first year,” Trudeau said in an interview. “We already have manufacturing in Meriden, so we’re planning to add manufacturing in Plantsville, and to have a recycling facility there as well.”

He said he expects to hire about 30 people for the new shop. “From there it’s only going to grow. If we expand into the back of the facility, it could be more.”

Trudeau said that the Rex Forge building was a good fit for several reasons. “We had been looking for a place that was heavy industrial. It seemed to fit our M.O., with it being a forge and us being in the metal business. The proximity to the highway and the proximity to our other shop, about 12 minutes away, was a factor. It has the space that we need.”

He said that the roofs of the old building may prove just as valuable as the floor space. “We had to lay off over 20 people in Meriden because of the cost of electricity. Our goal is to get our own power and go solar. We’ll have that ability with the rooftops because there’s a lot of rooftop up there. This is our shot at being able to rewrite the story with our own power and to be able to hire back that team to do the processing.”

According to real estate firm O,R&L Commercial, which brokered the deal, the 111,619 square-foot property was purchased for $1,275,000.

Another Large Company Also Coming to Town

Last week O,R&L Commercial also announced a second addition to Southington’s industrial portfolio. According to a press release, New Jersey-based Farren International has signed a lease for a large, 275,000 square-foot industrial space at 75 Aircraft Road currently owned by IRG Realty Advisors of Ohio.

The release states that "The long-term lease brings the property to full occupancy and represents one of the largest industrial lease transactions in the region this year."

Farren says on its website that it specializes in “logistical solutions” that involve the transportation of oversized industrial components and other large cargoes.

Its promotional videos feature specialized cranes and tractor-trailers with ‘Oversize Load’ signs.