Miressi hasn’t conceded
NORWALK, Conn. — Some Norwalk election notes, one pertaining to next year:
- Rilling files registration for next Mayoral contest
- Miressi hasn’t conceded though Duff again won more than 60% of the vote
- Wilms responds to red wave wash out
- Republican candidates consider the future
2023 Mayoral contest already a topic
Mayor Harry Rilling has registered as a possible candidate in next year’s election.
The candidate registration form was filed Oct. 17. It indicates that Rilling is going to form a candidate committee. This is a necessary step in raising funds for a campaign.
Rilling declined to comment.
If Rilling runs for reelection next year, it would be for a sixth two-year term. Rilling, 75, was first elected Mayor in 2013.
One potential competitor has been a 2023 Mayoral candidate for 20 months. Common Council member John Kydes (D-District C) formed an exploratory committee in December 2020 and the following May announced he’s running for Mayor in two years.
Kydes did not reply to an email asking for a response to Rilling’s move.
Papers on file in the Town Clerk’s Office show no fundraising activity for Kydes from July 1 to September 30. Kydes has about $16,000 in his war chest. In July 2021, the Kydes campaign reported $15,474.31 on hand.
No concession
Secretary of State figures show State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff (D-25) won 60.54% of the vote Tuesday in yet another successful bid for reelection.
Republican competitor Daniel Miressi has not conceded, according to Norwalk Democratic Town Committee Chairwoman Eloisa Melendez. Duff has also not heard from Independent candidate Lisa Brinton.
“I publicly conceded the moment I put my name on the ballot,” Brinton said Sunday.
Brinton said recently that the Independent Party wasn’t comfortable with endorsing the far-right Miressi, so she entered the State Senate race to maintain the Independent line on the ballot. Duff “had a 95% chance of winning” but she wanted to highlight her arguments for election reform, including a desire for Ranked Choice Voting.
Norwalk Republican Town Committee Chairman Fred Wilms didn’t reply to a Saturday email asking about Miressi’s behavior.
“Refusing to concede with 35% of the vote? It’s got to be an embarrassment for the RTC,” Brinton said Friday.
District 25 includes all of Norwalk and part of Darien. According to the Secretary of State, there were 4,309 votes cast in Darien and 27,884 cast in Norwalk.
The district-wide results:
- Bob Duff, Democrat 18,935, 58.82%
- Daniel Miressi, Republican 11,100, 34.48%
- Lisa Brinton, Independent 1,604, 4.98%
- Bob Duff, Working Families Party 554, 1.72%
Miressi’s showing percentagewise is the poorest for a Republican candidate since at least 2014, according to Secretary of State records. One caveat: Miressi had an Independent competitor. Norwalk registrar records online show that the Independent Party cross-endorsed Republicans from 2012 through 2020 and there were no Independent candidates from 2004 to 2010.
Miressi did not seek Citizens Election Program (CEP) funding for his campaign. He had received $2,285 in donations as of Nov. 1, according to campaign documents.
SoS provides this Republican District 25 candidate history:
- Daniel Miressi, 2022, 34.48%
- Ellie Kousidis, 2020, 37.17% (plus 2.6% on the Independent line)
- Marc D’Amelio, 2018, 35.21% (plus 1.64% on the Independent line)
- Greg Ehlers, 2016, 37.73% (plus 2.13% on the Independent line)
- Bill Dunne, 2014, 38.3% (Independent line not listed)
- Jack Chiaramonte, 2012, 33.1% (Independent line not listed)
- Artie Kassimis, 2010, 35.6%
- Steve Papadakos, 2008, 30.2%
- Fred Wilms, 2006, 34.3%
- Jeff Konspore, 2004, 41.1%
Bottom line: Duff first won the seat in 2004 with 59% of the vote and hasn’t been below 60% since then.
He is headed for a tenth two-year term.
Updated, 2:32 p.m.: Information added.
Red wave?
Pundits and Republican commenters nationwide expected a gigantic red wave. Instead, Democrats have won control of the Senate. Republicans appear poised to win a narrow majority in the House, although the vote counting isn’t done yet.
On Election night, Norwalk Republican Town Committee Chairman Fred Wilms said he was expecting a “moderate” red wave. Accepting that none of Norwalk’s Republican candidates had prevailed in their bids for elected office, Wilms said Republicans were hoping that George Logan would win the Fifth Congressional District battle against incumbent U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes.
Hayes prevailed with 50.39% of the vote.
What does Wilms say now?
“It continues to appear likely that the GOP will gain control of the US House,” Wilms wrote Friday. Logan “beat all expectations around his race, losing only by a whisker at the very end. I see a bright future for him, whatever his next move may be.”
He continued, “The results in Connecticut for the GOP were disappointing. Governor Lamont’s popularity and strong top of the ticket showing, set the tone for all the other races. In Norwalk we had outstanding House candidates who ran great campaigns. One, Tracy Marra, representing Rowayton & Darien, won. Our three others, Don Mastronardi, Nicole Hampton and Luis Estrella, have a lot to be proud of and have bright futures ahead.”
Marra ran unopposed for District 141 State Representative.
Will they stay in politics?
Miressi didn’t reply to an email asking if he plans to stay in politics.
Republican candidate Don Mastonardi got 40.23% of the vote in his unsuccessful bid to unseat State Rep. Lucy Dathan (D-141).
What’s his future politically?
“I didn’t get into this race to be a career politician. I don’t think there’s a dirtier word than a career politician … I think we need term limits, I think we need a more balanced approach,” he said Tuesday.
Republican candidate Nicole Hampton won 41.75% of the vote in her unsuccessful bid to represent District 143 in the State House, losing to Democratic candidate Dominique Johnson.
“As a political newcomer, it was rewarding to knock on doors in Norwalk and Westport and talk to voters about the issues they care about—affordability, schools, safety and quality of life,” Hampton said Wednesday in a statement. “I’ll still be present and advocating for these things in my district and my state…. I will continue to work to make elections more accessible to more voters regardless of party of registration.”
Republican candidate Luis Estrella won 34.8% of the vote in his District 137 contest with Democratic candidate Kadeem Roberts. Estrella didn’t answer an email asking he he plans to stay in politics.
Norwalk Attorney Jessica Kordas won 41.4% of the vote in her unsuccessful bid to unseat Attorney General William Tong, a Democrat.
“I didn’t expect the election to go this way. We fought a good race,” she said Tuesday evening. “…I think that I have a lot more to offer to the state of Connecticut. I don’t know that I’m done yet. I don’t know where my space is going to be. But I wanted to bring something different to politics, I wanted to bring a public servant that was desiring to serve the people and not tied to a political agenda.”
She had congratulated Tong, she said. “We need to find politicians that are willing to be uniters instead of dividers. I feel like we don’t have a lot of that in politics.”
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