Republican Len Greene, Jr. will be the next state representative in the 105th district, defeating the Democratic incumbent, Theresa Conroy Tuesday night.
Conroy was first elected to the seat in 2008, when Greene’s father retired from the General Assembly. While Conroy carried the town of Seymour by over 200 votes, Beacon Falls went to Greene by a margin of nearly 67 percent, according to unofficial results.
Conroy said “it is a sad day in the Valley’s history,” and blamed a “Republican wave” for her defeat. She thanked dozens of friends and family members who helped her campaign and would not rule out a run for office in the future, telling three dozen supporters, “if I run again, I want you guys right there with me.”
Greene heard the first results at Laurel Ledge School in Beacon Falls, where he garnered 1,432 votes, according to unofficial results. Beacon Falls saw a turnout of 37.6% of its total registered voters. Family and friends surrounded Greene as he waited to hear from the other municipalities, an experience he described as “nerve-wracking.”
“I think he was similar in a lot of ways to his father and grandfather in that he ran on issues, trust and respect,” said Ken Greene, who is Greene’s uncle.
Around 8:30 pm, Greene learned the results from Seymour. He and his inner circle of supporters then moved to the Full Harvest Bar & Grill. At 9:25 p.m. Ansonia’s tally came in – his lead was more than 100 votes. Shortly after, Conroy called Kurt Miller, Greene’s campaign manager, to say she was driving over from Seymour to concede. The room burst into applause as Miller announced the impending concession while standing on a stool.
Asked how Greene did it, Miller said, “I think our ‘Get Out The Vote’ initiative was really beneficial. We spent a lot of time IDing voters and making sure they came out to vote.”
When Conroy’s car pulled up outside the restaurant, Greene exited to greet her as members of his campaign encouraged supporters to wait inside the bar and give the candidates a moment to speak outside in private. Minutes later, the two candidates stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the center of the barroom. “He’s got a lot of work ahead of him — a lot,” Conroy told the crowd. “It’s not a nine-to-five job, honey.”
“I’m humbled,” Greene said. “Teresa and I both ran positive campaigns, which is important.”
Asked what he planned to do when he arrived in Hartford, Greene concluded, “Reduce spending; reduce government; cut the size of government rather than just talking about it.”
Both candidates said they found voters more knowledgeable on the issues this year than previous elections, and poll moderators said turnout in the district had surpassed 2008 totals.
The district includes all of Seymour, Beacon Falls, and the northern portion of Ansonia.
