State Senator Joe Markley has won the Republican party nomination for lieutenant governor. The 61-year-old conservative lawmaker from Southington was the party's endorsed candidate. He fended off challenges from Jayme Stevenson, the first selectman of Darien, and Erin Stewart, New Britain's 31-year-old mayor. He received 47% support compared to 19% for Stevenson and 32% for Stewart. Former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz has won the Democratic nomination. The 56-year-old Bysiewicz has been a familiar face in Connecticut politics for decades, having first been elected to the General Assembly in 1992. Bysiewicz fought off a challenge from 31-year-old newcomer Eva Bermudez Zimmerman, who cast herself as the candidate for a new generation, 62% to 38%.
Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller has won the Republican nomination for Connecticut state comptroller. The 48-year-old has served four terms in Seymour. He points to what he says are successes in keeping the town's mill rate relatively low and improving the town's credit rating. Miller received the party endorsement at May's convention and defeated Litchfield businessman Mark Greenberg 52% to 47%. He will face Democratic incumbent Kevin Lembo in November's general election.
Investment manager Thad Gray has won the Republican nomination for state treasurer. The 58-year-old Gray won the party endorsement by 14 votes in May over 29-year-old State Sen. Art Linares of Westbrook, and he beat Linares again in Tuesday's primary 71,624 to 56,549, with 96% of towns reporting results to the Secretary of the State's Office. Gray worked recently as chief investment officer at Abbot Capital Management. Shawn Wooden has won the Democratic nomination. The former Hartford City Council president won the party's endorsement in May. He defeated former Wall Street financial manager Dita Bhargava of Greenwich 56% to 43%. Wooden is an attorney who focuses on investment and securities law. He grew up in Hartford's North End and was among the first to champion the building of a baseball stadium in the city.
State lawmaker William Tong has won the Democratic nomination for Connecticut attorney general in a three-way race, winning 57% of the vote. Tong is the son of Chinese immigrants and campaigned on his willingness to challenge in court the policies of President Trump on issues including immigration. State prosecutor Sue Hatfield has won the Republican nomination. She defeated challenger and former state Representative John Shaban of Redding 79% to 21%. Hatfield, of Pomfret, was a policy assistant for Newt Gingrich and has said she wants the attorney general's office to be more pro-business. Hatfield recently lost the endorsement of the Connecticut's largest gun owners' group, the Connecticut Citizens Defense League, after saying she opposed the ability to download blueprints for making untraceable plastic guns with 3D printers.
Small-business owner Matthew Corey has won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Connecticut and will face an uphill battle against Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, who he says "doesn't represent Connecticut anymore." In Tuesday's primary, Corey defeated Dominic Rapini, a national accounts manager for Apple computers, 76% to 24%.
A celebrated teacher has defeated the party-endorsed candidate in the Democratic primary for a Connecticut U.S. House seat being vacated by Rep. Elizabeth Esty, who acknowledged mishandling sexual harassment complaints in her office. On Tuesday, 2016 National Teacher of the Year Jahana Hayes bested former Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman, 62% to 38%.
Former Meriden Mayor Manny Santos has won the Republican nomination. The party’s endorsed candidate received 51% of the vote, defeating two GOP rivals. Ruby Corby O’Neill of Southbury won 27% and Rich Dupont of Watertown getting 22%. Santos has called President Donald Trump’s economic policies “dead on” and has vowed to fight tax increases and unnecessary spending.
