The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Lesser, Gennaro win
MIDDLETOWN — Democratic state Rep. Matt Lesser of Middletown squared off Tuesday against fellow state Rep. Antonio “Tony” Guerrera of Rocky Hill in a see-saw struggle that resulted in Lesser claiming the Democratic nomination for the 9th District state Senate seat in November.
Just after 9 p.m., Lesser said he won Middletown, Cromwell and Newington — three out of five towns.
“We won this race decisively,” Lesser said, estimating he was up by 900 votes over his opponent.
Guerrera called Lesser at 9:20 p.m. to offer his “very gracious concession,” Lesser said.
Lesser will now challenge the winner of the Republican primary, which pitted 19-year-old UConn student Tyler Flanigan of Wethersfield against Ed Charamut, 60, the Rocky Hill Town Council minority leader who owns an insurance agency in Rocky Hill.
Results of the Republican primary were not available by press time.
Charamut was hopeful for a win Tuesday night, after one Rocky Hill voting district — West Hill School — was reporting results. Unofficial numbers showed he garnered 230 votes to Flanigan’s 114.
Flanigan was unable to be reached for comment.
Charamut was out in three of the district’s towns Tuesday. “People were steady all day long” — in singles and pairs — “a light, steady crowd. I feel like we put in the good work and I’m confident.”
He was less able to predict which way voters would swing in Middletown and Portland. “I think there are a lot of absentee ballots that could play a part (in the final outcome),” Charamut said.
There hasn’t been a Republican in the 9th District Senate seat since 1976, when Elmer A. Mortensen of Newington won the election.
This primary race pitted two incumbent state representatives with very different styles.
The state Senate seat became open when incumbent Paul Doyle announced in March he would campaign for the Democratic nomination for attorney general. Doyle had held the seat since 2007. Prior to that, he was the state representative for the 28th District.
Guerrera, a former Rocky Hill mayor, has served in the General Assembly representing the 29th district since 2001. The 29th district encompasses Rocky Hill and portions of both Newington and Wethersfield.
Lesser has represented the 100th District in the state House of Representatives since 2009, a total of five terms.
The 100th district includes portions of Middletown, Durham and Middlefield.
Doyle, who has held the seat since 2007, is one of three Democrats seeking the party’s nomination for attorney general.
The republicans had a choice between youth and experience in their race.
Flanigan first got involved in politics at age 14. Now, five years later, he is balancing running for the state Senate seat while he continues his studies at UConn.
Reached via text as he campaigned Tuesday morning in Cromwell, Flanigan said, “Voter feedback has been great. My dedicated team of volunteers and I have been getting out all day, and directly talking to voters. The community is absolutely behind us.”
While Charamut has been involved in local affairs, he only stepped into the ring as political candidate in 2017 when he won a seat on the council. He brings the perspective of a small-business owner to the race, and advocates a restraint on spending by the General Assembly.