Heavy turnout in Middletown; Dem looks to win 33rd House as votes counted in other races

Nov. 4--MIDDLETOWN -- Voters came out in heavy numbers early Tuesday at the city's 14 polling locations, with people in lines snaking around some buildings, but winners in some races were not yet called as officials kept counting.

Winners in the races for two state Senate districts, as well as who will fill the seat of a 28-year representative, were not yet available.

Election Day saw incumbent 9th District Sen. Matt Lesser, D-Middletown, vying against Republican Rich Ruglio of Rocky Hill; and 13th District Sen. Mary Daughtery Abrams, D-Meriden, being challenged by former state senator Len Suzio of Meriden.

In the city's 33rd House race, a seat held for nearly 30 years by state Rep. Joseph Serra, D-Middletown, political newcomer and engineer Brandon Chafee, a Democrat; and Linda Szynkowicz, Republican and former Middletown Board of Education member, are both seeking a first term.

In the 33rd race, Chafee is up significantly, both he and Szynkowicz said.

Chafee said his campaign estimates he had about 1,000 more votes than Szynkowicz, without election day registration ballots or absentees counted.

After the polls closed, Szynkowicz said she was "hanging in there" as she learned results from the "runners" she had at each polling station.

"We are very cautiously optimistic that we're going to be ahead on the machines," Lesser said a half-hour after polls closed. "We ran a very good absentee ballot operation."

The $55 million infrastructure bond referendum appears to be on track to pass, Mayor Ben Florsheim said more than an hour after polls closed, although final numbers were not in by press time.

There are approximately 30,120 eligible voters in Middletown.

At 6 p.m., the registrar reported having 8,783 absentee ballots (29 percent of those sent out), 13,926 in-person votes (46 percent of the electorate), for a total of 22,709 (75 percent turnout).

At noon, it had recorded the same number of absentees, and 8,466 in-person votes (28 percent). The total voter turnout by 12 p.m. was 17,249 (57 percent).

9th Senate

Lesser is seeking to retain the seat he won in 2018, and represents Newington, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, Middletown and Cromwell.

The senator, a cancer survivor, said he played an important role in passage of the Mental Health Parity Act, which would ensure insurance coverage of state residents suffering from mental health and substance use disorder conditions as they would for other illnesses.

Ruglio was born and raised in Wethersfield, educated in Middletown at Xavier High School, and has lived in Rocky Hill for the last 25 years, where he raised five children. "I have no interest in political games or higher office." He owns two small businesses.

13th Senate

Abrams is seeking a second term representing Middletown, Middlefield, Rockfall, Meriden and Cheshire. She is a former special education teacher.

"We lowered prescription drug costs while increasing access to affordable quality health care. We protected our natural resources now and for the next generation. We fought for reproductive rights and sensible gun laws," Abrams said.

Suzio, founder and president of GeoDataVision, is hoping to reclaim the seat he held from 2011-12 and 2017-18. He believes electric rates are far too high and opposes anti-police legislation. Suzio led a successful fight to cap the gas tax, prevent the mileage tax, and proposed the successful relocation of Middlesex Community College to Platt High School in Meriden.

33rd House District

Szynkowicz, founder and CEO of Fight Voter Fraud, the motto of which is "Fresh Ideas & Common Sense," is seeking her first term.

She grew up in Higganum and graduated from Haddam-Killingworth High School in 1981. "We need change. We don't need any new taxes. We need to cut spending and reevaluate where our tax dollars are going," Szynkowicz said.

Chafee has lived in Middletown his entire life, and cares deeply for the community, he said. "In about 10 years, I went from digging in the bottom of a ditch as a laborer to becoming a professional engineer," he said.

Deirdre Tindall was at Macdonough Elementary School, supporting Ruglio. She began the day at 5:30 a.m. in Cromwell. "I saw thousands and thousands this morning. There were lines out the door. It was taking hours for people to vote," she said.

Earlier, she waited an hour to cast her ballot in New Hartford. "People are inspired to get out and vote. In my lifetime, I've never seen the numbers this large. It's amazing, it's inspiring," Tindall said.

Amy O'Connor, a Middletown Democratic Town Committee member, held a sign for Lesser. She marveled at how many people wanted to show up in person. "It speaks to people wanting to have their voices heard more than ever. At the presidential level, they're wanting change, some sense of feeling active, and supporting candidates who support people during this pandemic."

By late afternoon, Szynkowicz was visiting Moody Elementary School for the second time, and had already made between two and four visits to the city's 14 districts. She's proud of running a positive campaign and was happy when she ran into Chafee, who wished her luck in her bid. "It was very cordial."

If she wins, Szynkowicz, who sent out 5,000 postcards to residents, is promising not to raise taxes. She's run in for office in the past, and said this year is particularly challenging. "It's just one big stress -- the waiting for days. I'm used to finding out after the polls close, but there's not much you can do about it."

Chafee made sure he was out meeting residents early on in election season. "I'm nervous, but that's normal. I feel confident in our campaign."

Chafee, who was at Moody in the early afternoon, as well as just before the polls opened, saw a line of voters snaking around two sides of the building, into the parking lot and nearly to the street.

He is a big proponent of repairing the state's transportation system, and being sure the response to COVID-19 is a fair one. "A lot of working people were struggling before the pandemic hit. I want to make sure local workers and businesses get the protective equipment they need to get through this, and we give them the support to get back on their feet, back to work, and hopefully thriving again," he said.

At the polls

Liz Gustafson, state director of NARAL Pro-Choice Connecticut was also at Moody, after visiting the polls in West Hartford. "Voter turnout is incredible. It's really great to see, it's exciting. People want a change, they need a change.

"Folks are really understanding and seeing how important statewide elections are," in addition to the presidential, she said.

Marco Iacoviello of Cromwell was at Spencer Elementary School with a Szynkowicz sign. "We've got a little bit of a different demographic. For whatever reason, people in Middletown seem to vote Democrat ... because it's been instilled in them. They just go with the flow.

"We're a little smarter up in Cromwell," Iacoviello said.

"I'm just hoping that the hectic-ness of this world gets corrected, no matter matter if it's blue or red -- I'm hoping it's red, because I'm a Republican," Geno Cuddy said. "Whoever gets in, I hope there is positive change."

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