The party breakdown of Connecticut’s next General Assembly solidified this week with the resolution of recounts in a handful of races which left Democrats with one-vote gains in both chambers.
Beginning in January, the state House will be split with 98 Democrats and 53 Republicans. The Senate will have 24 Democrats and 12 Republicans. Both chambers will shift slightly in favor of Democrats, who already held strong majorities.
Those numbers follow the results of recounts in tight races a week after Election Day.
In the 81st House District race, a recount left Democrat Chris Poulos with a one-vote win over Republican Tony Morrison, flipping a seat currently represented by Republican John Fusco of Southginton.
In the 134th House District, Democrat Sarah Keitt emerged from a recount with a 14-vote victory over Republican Meghan McCloat, winning the district vacated by Rep. Laura Devlin, R-Fairfield, who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor this year alongside Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski.
Meanwhile, in the Danbury-based 138th House District, Republican challenger Rachel Chaleski unseated incumbent Democrat Kenneth Gucker following a recount which found Chaleski ahead by 26 votes.
On the Senate side, a recount confirmed Republican Lisa Seminara’s victory over Democrat Paul Honig in the large 8th Senate District representing Avon, Barkhamsted, Canton, Colebrook, Granby, Hartland, Harwinton, New Hartford, Norfolk, Simsbury and parts of Torrington. The 124-vote win preserves for Republicans the seat long represented by outgoing Sen. Kevin Witkos.
Honig released a statement Wednesday congratulating Seminara and expressing optimism despite his close loss.
“I’m inspired by the people I met and I’m more optimistic than ever about the future of our state,” Honig said.
Another recount cemented incumbent Republican Ryan Fazio’s 89-vote win over Democrat Trevor Crow in the district representing parts of Greenwich, New Canaan and Stamford. Fazio flipped the seat during a special election following the resignation of sitting Democratic Sen. Alex Kasser last year.
Fazio issued a statement Thursday morning, thanking supporters and praising his district and criticizing the direction of state policy.
“We have good people, a strong community, and every other advantage imaginable,” Fazio said. “Despite this, our state faces immense challenges—from our economy to local control to public safety and beyond—largely because of failures of state policy.”
