Democrat Will Haskell, 22, claims victory over Toni Boucher in the 26th Senate District.
Extensive Ground Campaign By Democrat Takes Over Longtime Republican Stronghold
Officials say Democrat Will Haskell, a 22-year-old Georgetown graduate, claimed victory Tuesday night over Toni Boucher in the 26th Senate District.
Haskell faced a monumental challenge in defeating Boucher, a popular moderate Republican from Wilton who conceded Tuesday night. The seat has been held by Republicans since the 1970s, though Hillary Clinton won it by 22 percent in 2016.
Haskell’s campaign got a boost when he was endorsed by former President Barack Obama. He also was endorsed by Sen. Chris Murphy and state Rep. Jim Himes.
Haskell ran an extensive ground cam- paign, hosting more than 120 meet-andgreets and knocking on thousands of doors in the district, which encompasses Westport, Weston, Wilton, Ridgefield, Redding, Bethel and New Caanan.
Haskell, a 2014 graduate of Staples High School, graduated from Georgetown University in May after launching his campaign in March. He had planned to go to law school, but was inspired to run by President Donald Trump’s election win and his love of government.
“There’s so much at stake,” he said, “especially for young people. It’s Hartford’s job to defend residents from the administration.”
Boucher has served in the legislature for as long as Haskell has been alive. She has held the state Senate seat since 2008. She toyed with a run for governor this year, but decided to pursue another term in the state Senate instead.
Boucher is a leader among Republicans at the state Capitol, co-chairing the education and transportation committees. Her moderate stance on social issues and her fiscal conservatism have made her an attractive candidate for Fairfield County, an area of Connecticut that typically votes Republican locally and Democratic during national elections.
Boucher’s district gave Hillary Clinton a 22 percent victory in the presidential race in 2016, a strong indication that moderate Republicans in the district were shifting more to the left.
“The Republican Party of this district is the party of George H.W. Bush,” Haskell said. “My grandparents were those kind of Republicans, but the Connecticut Republican Party has really thrown its arms around Trump and forgotten the values of compassion, conservatism and fiscal responsibility.”
During his campaign, Haskell said he hoped that the voting trends would help him. He supported tolls to raise revenue for infrastructure and transportation and supported tougher gun laws.
“There are people who actually think the next generation’s voice [doesn’t] matter,” Haskell said in an interview before the election. “Age is just a number, You don’t need 22 years of experience to know kids need to feel safe in school. ”