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.