Clarification: The Newtown Bee has been asked to note that Reverie Brewing was rented by the Democratic Party on an evening it was closed to use for their event. Reverie Brewing has not stated support for any candidate.

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In spite of Republicans nationally taking the Presidency, the Senate, and very possibly the House of Representatives, Newtown leaned slightly more Democratic in its choices on Election Day.

Unofficial numbers released by the Connecticut Secretary of the State showed Newtown favoring the Democratic Kamala Harris-Tim Walz ticket, with 9,305 votes over the Republican choice of Donald Trump-JD Vance, who received 7,620 votes locally. Connecticut also supported the Democratic team, 874,156-680,610, but the national votes trumped local and statewide preferences.

Additionally, Jill Stein-Butch Ware (G) received 141 votes, Chase Oliver-Mike ter Maat (L) received 83 votes, and Robert F. Kennedy-Nicole Shanahan (independent) received 101 votes.

Incumbents Return

In the US Senator race, Newtown voters favored Democrat Chris Murphy over Republican challenger Matthew Corey, 9,083-7,327, or 53.46% to 43.1% for United States Senator. Murphy also won statewide for another term.

Newtown voters also chose Democrat Jahana Hayes over Republican challenger George Logan, 9,093-7,904, for another term as US 5th District Representative. Hayes also won the overall vote.

For State Senator in the 28th District, returning Republican Tony Hwang won out over Democrat challenger Rob Blanchard, 9,437-7,470. Hwang won the overall vote.

For State Representative in the 106th District, Republican Mitch Bolinsky won a seventh term, beating Democrat Michelle Embree Ku, 8,106-7,641. As Newtown is the only town that votes in this race, Bolinsky won.

For State Representative in the 107th District, challenger and Democrat Aaron Zimmer received more Newtown votes than Republican Marty Foncello, 624-611. Foncello won the overall vote, however.

For Registrar of Voters, Democrat LeReine Frampton received 8,176 votes and Republican Erica Canfield received 8,066 votes.

Ballot Questions

In addition to the office of President, US Senator, Congressional Representative, State Senator, State Representative, and Registrar of Voters, local voters were asked to respond to two ballot questions.

The first concerns the state Constitution and whether it should be amended to allow no-excuse absentee voting. Under the current state Constitution, qualified voters may cast an absentee ballot only if they are unable to vote in person at their polling place on election day due to absence from their city or town, sickness or physical disability, or their religious beliefs prohibiting a secular activity that day.

Newtown residents voted in favor of the proposed amendment, 9,132-6,662, echoing the statewide approval of the proposal, which had 727,890 votes in favor vs 557,261 against.

The second ballot question was local, and asked Newtown residents whether the Legislative Council vote “to sell or otherwise dispose of Town-owned property at 3 Main Street be approved?”

The Town Charter requires that whenever the Legislative Council votes to sell any Town-owned property valued at more than $1.5 million, that vote must be approved by referendum. The property at 3 Main Street includes the building that formerly housed Newtown Emergency Communications Center (“dispatch”), Newtown Parks & Recreation and Newtown Police Department. Newtown Parks & Rec moved into the newly constructed community center building at 8 Simpson Street in 2019. Newtown PD relocated to 191 South Main Street in November 2020. The NECC completed its transition to 191 South Main Street the following March. The building at 3 Main Street has been vacant since that time.

The property is appraised at $1,670,000.

Newtown this week voted overwhelmingly, 9,554 to 5,640, to support the recent Legislative Council vote.

According to the Registrar of Voters Office, turnout in Newtown was 84.83%, with 17,097 of 20155 eligible voters casting a vote. Of the votes, 6,923 were cast on Election Day, 8,800 during early voting, and 1,374 by absentee ballot.

Hwang, Bolinsky, Embree Ku React

Hwang was elected for a sixth term to represent Connecticut’s 28th Senatorial District. In a statement released early Wednesday morning he said he was “deeply grateful to the residents who entrusted me with your vote, allowing me the privilege of representing you for another term as your state senator ... This victory represents a commitment to people over politics, a sentiment that means everything to me.

“Public service matters profoundly,” Hwang continued. “Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of our constituents and strive to make Connecticut a better place to live, work, and raise our families.”

Bolinsky hosted a watch party Tuesday night at Newtown Community Center for constituents, supporters, and colleagues. The party started early, but didn’t end until the last results came in around 11 pm, according to Bolinsky. Attendees kept their eyes focused on the screen displaying the results. When the last votes were counted, it was clear who took the race: Mitch Bolinsky.

“The number of hugs I got [Election Day] was amazing ... It’s humbling ... incredible ... I feel so blessed,” Bolinsky told The Newtown Bee. He described his party as “overwhelming” because he didn’t expect to have so many people there. He shared with The Bee that he’s “never had this much support before.” When asked to clarify, he noted that there were no “interruption[s] of the pandemic” and that he now “know[s] which levers to pull,” referring to how he chooses to cast his vote in Hartford.

Bolinsky has competed in seven elections representing Newtown and Sandy Hook, and he said, “One of the other things you get with longevity is the ability to really do some serious, serious, serious good when it comes to constituent service. I know how to move the system.”

Bolinsky is grateful to all those who cast a vote for him, and wants those against him to know that “if a person needs help, they’re going to get it anyway.”

Michelle Embree Ku, the Democratic candidate who challenged Bolinsky for the District 106 state representative seat, initially joined supporters at their headquarters at The Teen Center. Nearby, Embree Ku’s backers had taken to Cooper’s Hall at Reverie Brewery to rally together and show their support for her.

As they eagerly waited for numbers and results at Reverie, Embree Ku and team members routinely visited throughout the night to provide everyone with updates. Embree Ku and her team eventually relocated to Reverie, joining everyone else, with them directly talking to person after person and thanking them for their support. Warm conversation filled the hall as the numbers continued to roll in throughout the night.

In a letter Embree Ku submitted to The Newtown Bee on Wednesday, November 6, Embree Ku said it had been an honor for her to have had the opportunity to run a campaign to bring a new voice to Hartford, and that she was incredibly thankful to everyone who opened their door to her for a conversation. Listening to the life experiences of residents, she said, whether it was their struggles with bills, personal challenges, or pride in their children and ideas for a better future, had been “a privilege.”

Embree Ku also said despite not being successful with her campaign, she is still “committed to continuing to listen to your concerns, champion your causes, and ensure that everyone has a seat at the table.”

She also noted that while the election “will not end the divisions ... we have the power to bridge our differences, one conversation at a time, and I’m proud that this campaign played a role in fostering those conversations, helping us connect with our Newtown neighbors on their front porches, and laying the foundation for further discussions.”

Embree Ku concluded her letter by congratulating Bolinsky on winning the election.

“He has dedicated many years to our community, and I wish him great success as he continues to represent the people of Newtown in Hartford,” she wrote.

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Editor Jim Taylor and Reporters Sam Cross and Jenna Visca can be reached at jim@thebee.com, sam@thebee.com and jenna@thebee.com, respectively.