SHELTON — Republican Jason Perillo defeated Democrat Anthony Afriyie in a special election Tuesday (Feb. 25) for state Senate District 21, according to The Monroe Sun.
The seat, which was vacated by Republican Kevin Kelly in January, covers chunks of Monroe, Seymour, Shelton, and Stratford.
The unofficial tally was 6,839 to 5,950, according to the Secretary of State’s website. Overall, Perillo captured 53.47 percent of the vote to Afriyie’s 46.52.
Voter turnout was 17 percent, according to the Secretary of State.
Perillo captured 64.6 percent of the vote in Seymour, and 64.8 percent of the vote in Shelton, where he lives.
“Congratulations to Senator-elect Perillo — a knowledgeable and experienced lawmaker who cares deeply about Connecticut and our future,” state Sen. Stephen Harding said in a prepared statement on behalf of Senate Republicans. “Senator-elect Perillo and his campaign team worked tirelessly to get out the vote. He will be an invaluable addition to our Senate Republican Caucus.”
“Among his goals are to repeal all income taxes on social security and pensions, as well as to eliminate the public benefit charge on electric bills,” Harding said.
Perillo already represented Shelton in the state House of Representatives. He will resign from that seat, according to The CT Mirror, setting the stage for a Shelton-based special election to be scheduled.
Afriyie, in a prepared statement, thanked his supporters and campaign staffers for their efforts.
“To my supporters and volunteers, this is not the end. This is the beginning of a continued fight for progress, fairness, and equality. I look forward to working alongside each of you in the future, and together we will continue to work toward a better tomorrow,” he said.