Politics & Government
Fairfield Election Results: Farnen Concedes, Leeper Flips 132nd
Tuesday's race between Jennifer Leeper and Brian Farnen is a rematch after Farnen claimed a narrow victory in a January special election.
UPDATED 11:32 p.m. Tuesday: State Rep. Brian Farnen, a Republican, has conceded to Democrat challenger Jennifer Leeper in the race for the 132nd House District.
Preliminary, unofficial numbers Tuesday from the Fairfield registrars of voters showed Farnen behind by 269 votes.
"We're really disappointed in the results," said Farnen, who noted he believed the presidential race had an impact on the outcome of the local contest. "We worked really hard, and we couldn't overcome the national issues. ... I wish Jennifer best wishes in moving our community forward over the next two years."
Find out what's happening in Fairfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
UPDATED 10:30 pm. Tuesday: Incumbent state Reps. Laura Devlin and Cristin McCarthy Vahey have taken substantive leads as preliminary vote totals come in.
McCarthy Vahey, a Democrat representing the 133rd House District, had 7,696 votes, while Republican challenger Joanne Romano-Csonka had 4,160 votes, according to unofficial numbers provided by Fairfield Democratic Town Committee Chair Steven Sheinberg.
Find out what's happening in Fairfieldfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“I am so, so humbled and just grateful for the opportunity to continue to serve the people of Fairfield,” McCarthy Vahey said. “I love our town so much and I know that there are some real difficulties ahead, and I’m grateful to be a social worker and be a mom and take those perspectives back to Hartford with me.”
Devlin, a Republican serving the 134th House District, had 6,435 votes across the district, according to Sheinberg. The 134th District includes parts of Fairfield and Trumbull. Her opponent, Democrat Carla Volpe, had 5,196 votes.
“I work hard for the people I represent, I am committed to doing the same," Devlin said. "... I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve."
UPDATED 10:01 p.m. Tuesday: Jennifer Leeper will declare victory in the 132nd House District, according to Fairfield Democratic Town Committee Chair Steven Sheinberg.
According to preliminary data provided by Sheinberg, Leeper leads incumbent state Rep. Brian Farnen with 7,536 votes to Farnen's 7,267.
The 132nd District is a former Republican stronghold and its House seat was held by Fairfield First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick, before she was elected to lead the town in 2019. Tuesday's race between Leeper and Farnen is a rematch after Farnen claimed a narrow victory in a January special election.
UPDATED 9:46 p.m. Tuesday: With preliminary data available for three of the four polling places in the 133rd House District, state Rep. Cristin McCarthy Vahey, a Democrat, has taken a significant lead over her challenger, Joanne Romano-Csonka, a Republican. As of about 9:45 p.m., McCarthy Vahey had 5,676 votes to Romano-Csonka's 2,507, according to unofficial numbers from the registrars of voters.
FAIRFIELD, CT — The polls have closed, the votes are being counted, and every General Assembly seat in Fairfield is up for grabs.
President Trump isn’t the only incumbent facing a challenger tonight. Locally, the offices held by state Sen. Tony Hwang, and state Reps. Brian Farnen, Cristin McCarthy Vahey and Laura Devlin are all contested.
(The votes are currently being counted, so continue to refresh this article for updates as the night progresses. To sign up for free real-time election updates from Patch, click here.)
Hwang, a Republican who has held the 28th Senatorial District seat for five years, campaigned to keep the office against Democrat Michelle McCabe, a member of the Fairfield Public Library Board of Trustees and the director of the Center for Food Equity and Economic Development with the Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport.
In a Patch candidate questionnaire, Hwang emphasized his 15 years of experience as a state and local elected official, and prioritized local control and input, particularly in the context of the coronavirus pandemic response as well as housing, land use and zoning processes.
“I have always demonstrated my independence and have done my best to represent the interests of our communities,” he said.
Stay on top of all the returns from across Connecticut and our five congressional districts by checking these stories throughout the night.
- Election Results: Keep Up-To-Date On Every Race In CT
- CT Presidential Election Results: Donald Trump Vs. Joe Biden
- CT Election Results: 5 Congressional House Races Up For Grabs
In her questionnaire responses, McCabe focused on the need for Connecticut to build resiliency in the face of not only the pandemic, but also severe weather events and statewide inequity.
“I bring both innovation and boots-on-the-ground experience solving problems at the community level,” she said. “I know how to do more than simply apply a Band-Aid and I know how to bring stakeholders around the table to develop effective solutions.”
Down the ballot, Republican Farnen faces Democrat and Board of Education member Jennifer Leeper in a rematch after he won the 132nd House District by a narrow margin in a January special election to fill the state representative seat vacated by Brenda Kupchick after she was elected first selectwoman of Fairfield.
Democrat McCarthy Vahey, a state representative for the 133rd House District since 2015, is up against Republican Joanne Romano-Csonka, a former member of the Norwalk Common Council who currently sits on the Fairfield Affordable Housing Committee.
Devlin, a Republican who represents the 134th House District, faces Democrat Carla Volpe, a teacher and member of the Trumbull Arts Commission.
The following are the key contested races that will be on the ballot for Fairfield voters:
President/Vice President
Joe Biden/Kamala Harris (Democrat)
Donald Trump/Mike Pence (Republican) — Incumbent
Jo Jorgensen and Chip Cohen (Libertarian)
Howie Hawkins and Angela Walker (Green Party)
U.S. Congress
U.S. House District 4
Jim Himes (Democrat) — Incumbent
Jonathan Riddle (Republican)
Registrar of Voters
Matt Waggner (Democrat) — Incumbent
Steve Elworthy (Republican) — Incumbent
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