Miller Claims Victory After Esses Concedes In Special Election

STAMFORD, CT — Republican candidate Josh Esses wished Democratic state Rep. Patricia Billie Miller "nothing but the best" Wednesday morning after calling her the previous night to concede in the race for the 27th District state senate seat.

Speaking by phone Wednesday, Esses said he decided to call Miller and concede after viewing unofficial numbers Tuesday night.

"I was down on the in-person count by about 100 votes," Esses said, "and of the...uncounted absentee ballots, the vast majority were submitted by democrats."

According to unofficial results from Stamford Democratic City Committee headquarters, Miller was up by about 100 votes when all votes from Darien and in-person votes from Stamford were taken into account around 9:30 p.m., the Stamford Advocate reports.

The Stamford Advocate reports Miller will be the first woman, and the first woman of color, to represent the 27th District. She is also the fourth Black female state senator in Connecticut's history.

Esses congratulated Miller and said he hoped she does "great work" for the residents of Stamford and Darien. (To sign up for Stamford breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

He also spoke positively about the campaign his team ran leading up to Tuesday's election.

"I think we ran a good campaign," Esses said. "There was a lot of excitement on our side...and [we] just came up a little short getting people out to the polls on a cold and windy March 2."

Overall, Esses said it was "a privilege" to run for the state senate seat.

"I enjoyed the opportunity to share my vision for the state of Connecticut, and for our towns and our cities, with the people," Esses said. "I'll still be here; Stamford is still home, and I look forward to serving the community in whatever capacity I best can."

The special election was scheduled earlier this year after Carlo Leone, a democrat who represented the district, resigned to take a position in the administration of Gov. Ned Lamont.

Leone, who was re-elected in the fall, resigned his post to become a special adviser to state Transportation Commissioner Joseph Giulietti, according to the Connecticut Post.

Miller, Esses and Independent candidate Brian David Merlen, all Stamford residents, were vying for the seat, which encompasses portions of Stamford and Darien.

Stamford Republican Registrar Lucy Corelli said voter turnout for Tuesday's special election was "very low," with 3,252 voters and 2,122 absentee ballots as of 4 p.m. Though she was unsure why the turnout was low, she noted everything ran smoothly at city polling locations Tuesday.

Stamford City and Town Clerk Lyda Ruijter said Tuesday afternoon her office issued 2,610 absentee ballots, 2,111 of which had been return as of 3:30 p.m.

Miller, a state representative, currently serves the constituents of the 145th District. According to her website, Miller "has stood out as a voice for the most vulnerable people in our state. She has fought to improve our schools, raise wages and provide paid family medical leave. A wife, mother and grandmother, Pat is improving our future."

In his Patch candidate profile, Esses said he intended to bring "a new voice and a new perspective" to the state's government if elected. He listed state employee retirement benefits, opening schools for in-person learning and "empowering local communities to make decisions about schooling and zoning" as some of the issues that defined his campaign platform.

Patch has reached out to Miller for further information.