Incumbents were re-elected to federal and state offices in the lower Naugatuck Valley Tuesday, according to unofficial results.
Democrat state Sen. Joseph J. Crisco beat challenger Phil Tripp, an Ansonia Alderman, in the 17th District race.
Democrat state Rep. Linda M. Gentile won re-election in the 104th District against challenger Republican Frederick Picroski, of Derby.
State Rep. Theresa Conroy, a Democrat from Seymour, beat challenger Robert Willis, a Republican, in the 105th District.
“Thank you to everyone for the support,” Conroy said on her campaign’s Facebook page. “Winning tonight only strengthens my resolve to continue to serve the citizens of the 105th and Connecticut.”
U.S. Democratic Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat, defeated challenger James Brown to win a 13th term in Congress.
U.S. Democratic Rep. Jim Himes won re-election over challenger Dan Debicella of Shelton.
Republican State Sen. Rob Kane was re-elected in the 32nd District, as per his social media feed.
Republican state Rep. Themis Klarides was re-elected in the 114th district.
Republican state Rep. Jason Perillo, who did not have a challenger, was re-elected in the 113th district.
Republican state Ben McGorty, elected earlier this year in a special election, was the winner in the 122nd district.
State Sen. Kevin Kelly, a Republican, cruised to a victory in the 21st district.
17th District
Crisco, D‑Woodbridge, smiled broadly Tuesday night as he thanked supporters for giving him the opportunity to return to Hartford.
The 11-term incumbent was joined by family and friends in a crowded Democratic headquarters on Main Street in Ansonia when he got the results from polls in the six towns that make up the 17th District.
Crisco defeated his Republican challenger, Lt. Col. Phil Tripp of Ansonia. The unofficial voting results were 15,345 to 12,877 for Crisco.
Tripp’s concession speech is posted below (don’t worry, it’s not sideways):
Tripp, president of the Ansonia Board of Aldermen, is a veteran of more than three decades in the U.S. Army National Guard. This was his first foray into the political arena at the state level. He is a Hamden native.
Crisco said, “I appreciate all the support we received in the district, and I’m looking forward to continuing work on women’s healthcare, jobs and education.”
He added, “It’s all about making life better for people in the 17th District and the state of Connecticut, it’s not for fame or fortune.”
Crisco said the race was a “very competitive” one.
The 17th District includes Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Derby, Hamden, Naugatuck, and Woodbridge. Crisco was first elected to the seat in 1992.
Tripp congratulated Crisco and thanked his family and supporters for their help in the campaign.
“We fought a great battle, a lot of hard work by many people,” Tripp told a crowd at his campaign headquarters on Main Street in Ansonia. “Bottom line, in truth, we came up a couple thousand votes short.”
While the race may have been impacted by the turnout for the governor’s race, Tripp said he “wasn’t looking for coattails.”
“I felt this race and this campaign stood on its own,” Tripp said. “I felt we did a very good job here. It’s just, I guess we just did not reach enough people and get our message across to enough people.”
The unofficial 17th District results from Tripp’s campaign:
Ansonia:
Crisco — 2095
Tripp — 2370
Beacon Falls:
Crisco — 864
Tripp — 1158
Bethany:
Crisco — 1222
Tripp — 1235
Derby:
Crisco — 2038
Tripp — 1764
Hamden:
Crisco — results not available
Tripp — results not available
Naugatuck:
Crisco — results not available
Tripp — results not available
Woodbridge:
Crisco — 1867
Tripp — 1227
104th District
State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D‑Ansonia, also won re-election in the 104th District, defeating Republican challenger Frederick Picroski of Derby, a political newcomer.
The 104th District includes Ansonia and Derby.
Gentile was also at Democratic headquarters in Ansonia, surrounded by family and friends.
When she learned the unofficial vote tally was 3,495 to 1,780 in her favor, a smiling Gentile exclaimed, “yes!”
She said she was “pleased and humbled by the support” of the voters in the 104th District. “I look forward to working for all of the hard-working families of Ansonia and Derby, and I’m grateful for their support,” she said.
Gentile has said the top issues facing the state that she will continue to tackle are job creation, taxes, and education funding.
