The three-way Democratic primary in Connecticut’s new 5th Assembly District ended up in a tie between two of the candidates Tuesday, but the saga of who will represent parts of Windsor and Hartford wasn’t resolved Friday night.
Following a recount of the Windsor polling places, Leo Canty ended up losing a vote and gaining vote, which gave him the same number of votes he had on Tuesday. Brandon McGee, who tied Canty, ended up with one less vote than he received on Tuesday giving Canty a one vote advantage going into the Hartford recount.
However, since the number of ballots didn’t match the number counted at the polls, McGee’s supporters believe there’s one missing ballot.
On Monday, both campaigns will return to John F. Kennedy School at 9 a.m. in order to search for what could be a missing ballot. Then on Tuesday at 9 a.m. Hartford will hold a recount of its two polling places which are part of the district.
Windsor was forced to get its recount done as soon as possible because it has another vote coming up Tuesday, Aug. 21 for probate judge. That will be the sixth time Windsor residents have been asked to go to the polls since March.
If the recounting ends again in a tie, then all three candidates will be in a run-off election on Sept. 4. If that happens it will be the seventh election for Windsor residents this year.
Windsor Mayor Don Trinks, who received about 267 votes, on Tuesday has yet to decide if he would drop out of the race or continue to keep his name on the ballot. Neither Canty or McGee has called on him to get out of the race, but there’s speculation that if he did he would throw his support behind McGee.
“The statement in this whole thing is that one vote really counts,” Canty said.
On the other hand, it’s a high risk process and because a voter might have been confused about how they color in a bubble. Only one ballot was thrown out Friday and all three campaigns agreed the X through all three of the candidates’ names was not a vote for any of them.
A political newcomer, McGee, 28, said the process has been “nerve-racking,” but that he has been supported through the process by his family and friends.