The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Other primaries
WATERBURY — Political newcomer Jahana Hayes and former Meriden mayor Manny Santos were the apparent winners in Tuesday’s primaries for Connecticut’s 5th Congressional District.
In the Democratic primary, Hayes, 45, the 2016 National Teacher of the Year, handily beat front-runner Mary Glassman, 60, a former eight-term first selectman of Simsbury. The Associated Press called the race with nearly 42 percent of the vote counted and Hayes ahead of Glassman 61 percent to 39 percent. Glassman conceded about 9:30 p.m.
At 10 p.m., Hayes declared her win.
“This was never just about winning, honestly, I wasn’t sure we could do it,” Hayes said. “Tonight is just the beginning of the real fight. The fight for the soul of this nation. The fight for our morals and our character. The fight for our integrity and for a government that aligns with the ideals we hold dear.
“On Nov. 6, we take back the House,” she said.
Democratic State Party Chair Nick Balletto called Hayes’ victory well-deserved.
“Tonight, Jahana Hayes is one step closer to making history,” Balletto said. “I am so grateful to Jahana Hayes and Mary Glassman for stepping up to run in this district and for everything they brought to the discourse of this primary. This was a hard-fought contest between two qualified, progressive candidates and as we head into November, the Democratic Party is stronger for it.”
U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy agreed.
“She has persevered against tough odds and inspired people all across the 5th District. She will be a much-needed voice in Congress, and I’ll be fighting with her to keep my old House seat blue,” Murphy said. “I need Jahana by my side in Washington getting things done for Connecticut families.”
Mary Glassman’s supporters seemed stunned at her loss.
“I think it’s the place and time we are in,” Glassman told reporters after her concession, noting her 25 years of public service did not win the day.
Asked if she will support Hayes, Glassman said “Absolutely.
“I believe in public service,” Glassman said. “And this election has not changed that. We need to elect Democrats in November.”
Davi Lynn Morse, who worked on Glassman’s campaign, attributed the loss to a desire for candidates who have not held elected office.
“I’m very disappointed. I’ve known Mary for 30 years,” Morse said. “It sucks. Mary lost because of that. They just are not supporting long-term politicians.”
In the GOP primary, Southbury’s Ruby Corby O’Neill, 65, and businessman Rich Dupont, 59, lost to front-runner Santos, 49, according to unofficial results.
With nearly 51 percent of the vote in at 10 p.m., Santos was leading 51.8 percent over Corby-O’Neill’s 25.7 percent and DuPont’s 22 percent.
The results set up a Nov. 6 contest to replace U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, a three-term Democrat who dropped re-election plans because of her role in an office abuse scandal.
At stake for Democrats is holding onto Esty’s seat as part of a larger midterm charge against Republican control of Congress. Republicans, meanwhile, see the 5th District as their best chance to break into Connecticut’s all-Democratic Congressional delegation and advance President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Tuesday’s results end hard-fought primary races in what has traditionally been Connecticut’s most competitive Congressional seat.
Democrats have held control of the seat since 2006, when current U.S. Sen Chris Murphy upset Republican Nancy Johnson.
Hayes, who jumped into the race with none of Glassman’s political experience or party connections, had the encouragement of Murphy.
The Democratic convention in May showed what a close race it would be when Hayes came two votes shy of the party endorsement.
Encouraged a second time by Murphy to stay in the race, Hayes hooked up with a fundraiser from Esty’s campaign and eventually overtook Glassman’s war chest by raising more than $500,000.
A similar dynamic unfolded with Republicans. After Esty’s surprise exit from the 2018 election, O’Neill and Dupont jumped into the race and made it a close convention in May, when Santos edged the two out for the GOP endorsement.
O’Neill, a retired psychology professor whose husband is a state senator, raised more money than her male counterparts at $120,000, although $80,000 was loans she made to her campaign and the total was hundreds of thousands of dollars less than what Democrats raised.
O’Neill described herself as the only Republican who could take on the Democratic nominee, saying of her male GOP rivals that Glassman or Hayes would “chew them up and spit them out.”
Several Washington, D.C.-based election forecasters agreed, predicting that no Republican candidate — including O’Neill — had enough money or momentum to beat the Democratic nominee.
For that reason, Republicans tried to coax a highprofile candidate to run. State Rep. William Petit, R-Cheshire — the survivor of the 2007 Cheshire home invasion — considered a run, but in the end declined and endorsed O’Neill.
Hayes and Santos will now turn their focus on each other in a renewed appeal to the five cities and 36 towns of the 5th District, which stretches from greater Danbury to Massachusetts and includes parts of central Connecticut.
Although Democrats have the enrollment advantage over Republicans, voters who are not affiliated with a party are the largest constituency, representing 42.5 percent of votes in the district.
The number of young voters who have registered since 2016 has tripled in Connecticut, compared with four years ago.
It was too early on Tuesday to say what impact the surge in youth voter registration had on the results.