GOP picks Wadsworth for state Senate bid
Former state representative and Farmington town councilman to run in special election to fill Bye’s seat
Republicans in the 5th Senate District on Wednesday night selected Bill Wadsworth, former state representative and former Farmington town councilman, to run in the Feb. 26 special election.
Longtime state Sen. Beth Bye won the November election to maintain the 5th District seat but resigned earlier this month after she was asked by Gov. Ned Lamont to lead the Office of Early Childhood.
Wadsworth, an 11th-generation Farmington resident, won Republican endorsement with 21 of 26 votes at a convention at West Hartford Town Hall. The 5th Senate District includes Burlington, West Hartford and parts of Bloomfield and Farmington.
Wadsworth said his campaign is “ready to hit the ground running,” noting the tight time frame that candidates have to raise $11,500 to secure funding through the citizens election program.
Nancy Nickerson, Farmington town council’s chair, nominated Wadsworth and said his government experience — he served as state representative for the 21st District from 2010 to 2012 and on Farmington’s town council — made him a good candidate.
“He’s a very hardworking, honorable person that you’d be proud to have as your public servant,” Nickerson said. “I think somebody like Bill will be somebody we will be happy to have, I know we’ll be happy to have, and happy to be talking to when he represents us there. He’s somebody who listens, he knows the ins and outs of budgets, he knows business.”
Wadsworth, 66, is a registered Republican. He owns an independent consulting company in New Britain, Charter Oak Connecticut LLC.
Farmington resident Phil Chabot, who ran an unsuccessful campaign against Bye, received five votes Wednesday. Chabot, 35, said he expected the results and was happy to support Wadsworth.
“I wanted to come out and represent myself, I thought I was a great candidate against Beth Bye, and I thought I’d be another great candidate for the seat,” Chabot said. “Bill’s going to do a good job, I’m going to support him.”
Democrats plan to meet at West Hartford Town Hall on Saturday for their convention. Four are in the running: state Rep. Derek Slap; West Hartford Deputy Mayor Beth Kerrigan; Janée Woods-Weber, an attorney from West Hartford and director of organizational culture at the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Foundation; and unsuccessful gubernatorial candidate Mark Greenstein, of West Hartford.