Charter Change Passes—

Romano Waives Recount After Bolinsky’s 48-Vote Victory In The 106th

By John Voket,

Eliza Hallabeck,

Nancy Crevier &

Kendra Bobowick

More than 14,500 of Newtown’s 17,091 registered voters went to the polls on Election Day, generating just over an 85 percent turnout, according to local registrars. While local voters supported Republican Mitt Romney for President, Republican Andrew Roraback for the hotly contested Fifth US Congressional District, and Linda McMahon for the US Senate seat being vacated by Senator Joseph Lieberman, none of those three contenders were ultimately successful in their individual races.

The 106th District, which covers most of Newtown, will see freshman Republican Mitch Bolinsky heading to Hartford to fill the seat vacated when Democrat Chris Lyddy opted to not seek another term.

Democrat Lisa Romano received 5,700 votes townwide, while 5,748 votes were cast for Mr Bolinsky. While the tight plurality provided an opportunity for Newtown’s Head Moderator to call a recount, Ms Romano told The Bee in a written statement Thursday morning that she is waiving the recount.

The contender said she spoke to Democratic Registrar LeReine Frampton, and learned there could not be enough errors in the ballot count to overcome Mr Bolinsky’s lead.

“I feel strongly that we need to avoid frivolous expenditures at all levels of government, so I am choosing to waive my legal right to a recount, which would have cost the town about $3,500,” Ms Romano stated.

As Election Day drew to a close, the mood at a Republican reception at the Stone River Grille for Mr Bolinsky was quiet as the numbers came in. But turned celebratory as the final numbers appeared to seal the race for the local legislative councilman running for the State Assembly.

“We actually did do it,” said Mr Bolinsky, to applause from around the room, “and I want to thank every Newtown voter today who agreed with our clear and consistent message. It’s time to get moving on the business on getting the great State of Connecticut growing again. I’m proud of all the folks that helped me get here.”

Mr Bolinsky gave special thanks to his wife, Luisa, his son Matthew, and daughter Rachel, before listing many others who helped him throughout the process.

“This has been a very humbling experience,” said Mr Bolinsky. “The people of Newtown have been so kind and so welcoming as I have been going door to door. Today I had a lot of people stop and say, ‘Everywhere I turn you’re there.’”

Mr Bolinsky noted the race was close, and gave credit to Ms Romano’s campaign for making it such a close race.

“I plan to be all over Newtown and all over our residents to do what needs to be done for them, and before this whole election thing ever came to the vote I had taken on a couple of constituent cases,” said Mr Bolinsky.

Throughout the evening Mr Bolinsky’s supporters monitored election news, both local and national. In one corner of the room, a television shared election night coverage for state and national news, and on the other side of the room, Tom Catalina kept track of local results on his laptop, projecting the spreadsheet for the room to see.

“I really do feel he will do a good job for Newtown,” said Mrs Bolinsky, before results were announced.

Tanya Capeci said she visited each polling location throughout the day, and at each one she saw Mr Bolinsky. “I’ve never seen anybody try harder,” said Mrs Capeci.

Bolinsky ‘Carried         Newtown’

As the night went on and more results were reported, Republican Town Committee Chairman Dennis Bloom noted his party “carried Newtown.”

“I’m shocked that it’s as close as it is,” said Mr Bloom, “because there was no experience as far as [Ms Romano] is concerned.”

After the unofficial results were announced, Mr Bolinsky said he is honored to be heading to Hartford with “such a distinguished team of Newtown legislators,” and that he ran a positive campaign from its start.

Saying his campaign never struck back at “mean and nasty” shots from his competitor’s campaign, Mr Bolinsky said, “We knew that the voters in Newtown were smart enough and classy enough to see through some of the misinformation that came from people that I will call ‘the usual suspects.’”

Mr Bolinsky said his plan is to work collaboratively with “both sides of the aisle” in Hartford, to find creative solutions, boost revenues, grow jobs, and more.

“We’ve run this campaign on a platform of common sense,” said Mr Bolinsky. “We’re not going to spend more than we take in anymore, and we are no longer going to borrow to cover our operating costs.”

To applause, Mr Bolinsky said, “As your new Republican representative for the 106th District, I pledge common sense, and I also pledge to every single voter in Newtown, whether you voted for me or for Lisa Romano, to absolutely smother you in constituent service and always do the right thing for this town that I love so much, with integrity and with honor, and with consideration for everybody that needs a little bit of help from their legislator.”

‘A Loss For Newtown’

At the same time Tuesday evening, Ms Romano and a group of her Democratic supporters gathered at the local VFW post to watch the final numbers come in.

As the narrow defeat became clear, Ms Romano told The Bee, “I did all I could.” To her supporters she said, “I thought I ran a good campaign, at least on ideas.”

Considering her opponent, Ms Romano said, “I am sorry that Newtown won’t have representation with the majority in Hartford. It’s not a loss for me, it’s a loss for Newtown.”

In a follow-up statement Thursday, Ms Romano said she was disappointed at the results of this campaign.

“Newtown will not have a state representative who is able to work on the issues in education that our town and state need so desperately to address,” she wrote. “Newtown will not have a representative in the majority party, where we would be more effective.”

Ms Romano noted that Newtown overwhelmingly voted the Republican ticket across the board, except in her race.

“Voters believed the Republican message that they would keep taxes low and keep government small, unless they took the time to meet me and understand that I intended to do that as well. In fact, in the candidate forum, I went farther than my Republican opponent in saying that I would be willing to trim the state workforce. He said he didn’t think that would be necessary,” Ms Romano said referring to statements made during The Bee’s candidates forum on October 16.

She said while her campaign came close in this race, Ms Romano could not overcome what she said “many voters believe about the Republican party, even though it isn’t true.”

“A Republican governor left Dannel Malloy with a $3.5 billion deficit in 2010 that he had to try to overcome. At the national level, the last time the government was shrunk was under a Democratic president, Bill Clinton,” Ms Romano stated. “I don’t know if I will be able to run for this seat again, but whether I do or not, I strongly urge voters to learn about the candidates, and look past partisan slogans that are not true.”

In closing, Ms Romano wished Mr Bolinsky the best in his representation of Newtown at the state level.

“And I hope that he does what he said he would do toward the end of the campaign — work on both sides of the aisle, and get past the partisan Republican slogans,” she added.

Incumbent Republicans Win

Incumbent Republican DebraLee Hovey of the 112th District, which overlaps a southern portion of Newtown as well as Monroe, declared herself the overall winner with 1,057 votes being cast in her favor locally, versus her Democratic opponent Robert Dombroski, who received 558. Rep Hovey was also endorsed by the state Independent party, while Mr Dombroski was endorsed by the Working Families Party.

Districtwide, Rep Hovey received 7,430 votes to Mr Dombroski’s tally of 3,860.

As the polls closed, Rep Hovey took her opponent to task for not appearing at any district polling locations to greet voters.

“It’s an insult to the voters,” Rep Hovey told The Bee. “If you want to run, the people deserve your sweat equity. I’m very pleased the people recognize how hard I work.”

As a result of 2011 redistricting, parts of two local districts are now in the Second Legislative District, with incumbent Republican Dan Carter declaring himself the winner districtwide. Locally, Rep Carter won 342 votes against Democratic challenger Steven DeMoura, who received 206.

Districtwide, Rep Carter captured 5,729 votes to Mr DeMoura’s 4,936.

Connecticut Senator and GOP minority leader John McKinney ran unopposed this year, so he will automatically return for another term. He received 9,131 votes in Newtown.

Charter Revision

There was also a local ballot question regarding a four-part Charter Revision, which passed overwhelmingly 7,847 to 3,316.

As a result of the Charter Revision passing, for the first time Newtown’s April budget vote will be split or bifurcated between the school district’s request, and the municipal request — which also includes all debt service on borrowing for both town and school projects.

The initial ballot will also ask voters to answer two questions: whether the school budget request was too low?; and whether the municipal budget request was too low? It is expected that these answers will help guide the Legislative Council in the event they have to deliberate and put forth any further budget proposals resulting from a failed vote.

 In addition, any part of the budget that passes will be binding, which means any subsequent referenda will only consider the part of the budget proposal that may have failed. The revision also removes a provision allowing for a town meeting to decide the final budget after two failed referenda.

Murphy, Esty Victorious

In the US Senate race, which saw unprecedented personal spending the by the former World Wrestling Entertainment exec, Ms McMahon received 7,406 votes locally versus Mr Murphy’s 6,486 among Newtown voters.

When Mr Murphy neared the end of his victory speech Tuesday night at a Hartford hotel where his supporters gathered, he returned to the story of his mother rising out of poverty and what the election meant for a fictional girl living in a public housing complex.

The three-term US congressman said voters gave the girl a better chance at a brighter future.

“She’s wondering whether that promise that was made to my mother — work hard, play by the rules and you’ll have a chance to make it — is still alive,” he said. “She’s going to wake up tomorrow and know that that chance to be great ... is just a little bit closer. And in the end, my friends, that is the most important measurement of what we’ve done here tonight.”

Mr Murphy touted his commitment to the middle class and accused Ms McMahon of favoring the rich. In the process, he survived the former wrestling executive spending $42 million of her own money, $8 million short of what she spent in her unsuccessful bid for Senate in 2010.

He also survived Ms McMahon’s attacks on his past financial problems, which included late mortgage and property tax payments, despite McMahon’s own bankruptcy years ago. His victory was part of Democrats’ sweep of five congressional races in Connecticut.

Former state Rep Esty triumphed in Connecticut’s closely watched Fifth Congressional District race on Tuesday, rounding out a Democratic sweep of congressional races in the state. In Newtown, Ms Esty received 6,219 votes to Mr Roraback’s 7,323.

Ms Esty’s opponent, a veteran Republican state senator, conceded defeat in a race that attracted significant outside spending.

‘‘So let’s face it folks, we were up against the odds in this one,” Ms Esty said in her victory speech. “In the last two-and-a-half weeks, count them three — not one, not two, but three out-of-state-super PACs — $2.5 million in our little part of the earth here in northwest Connecticut. But we proved in the Senate, we proved in the House, cannot be bought.’’

The Fifth district seat, in a largely bipartisan area of northwestern Connecticut, was one of only two US House seats in New England where an incumbent was not running for reelection.

Newtown’s registrars reported two additional write-in ballots were cast for a presidential candidate and one for US senate.

(Associated Press content was used in this report.)