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L-R: Lonnie Reed, Teddy Kennedy, Kiley Kennedy, Kiki Kennedy, Ted Kennedy, Jr. .
It was a good night for Democratic incumbents in Branford Tuesday as State Sen. Ted Kennedy Jr. and State Rep. Lonnie Reed both claimed victory. State Rep. Sean Scanlon, D‑Branford and Guilford, was running unopposed.
By contrast, the results of the contentious and unprecedented presidential race brought victory to Republican Donald Trump who becomes the nation’s 45th president in a stunning defeat of Democrat Hillary Clinton. Republicans kept control of the Congress as well. Clinton carried Connecticut but Republicans made significant gains in the state senate and the house, the CT. Mirror reports.
With all votes counted for the six towns that make up the 12th district, Kennedy received 27,774 votes to claim his second term as state senator . His Republican challenger, Bruce K. Wilson,Jr, took 18,347 votes in the second time he squared off against Kennedy. Votes tallies in some of the smaller districts were not available by 9:30 p.m. The 12trh District includes the towns of Branford, North Branford, Guilford, Madison, Killingworth ad Durham.
In Branford, Kennedy won 9, 248 Democratic votes to Wilson’s 4,893 Republican votes. Kennedy won 801 Working Families votes and Wilson took 197 votes on the Independent line. There was a strong voter turnout at the town’s seven election districts.
With absentee ballots counted by mid-night, Reed earned 6,878 votes to capture her fifth term in the 102nd District. Her Republican challenger Chris Kelly, a political newcomer, took 5,068.votes. Reed represents five sections of Branford; and Scanlon represents all of Guilford and the Stony Creek and Pine Orchard neighborhoods in Branford.
Kennedy: Time to Reach Out to Everyone
“Now is the time to reach out to everyone,” Kennedy said as he made his acceptance speech to thunderous applause at Branford’s Italian American Club. He pledged to continue serving in a bipartisan way, and talked about building bridges and being respectful of other people’s point of view.
“We know we have work to do. We think this campaign was an issues-based campaign,” he said, adding he had just received a call from Wilson with congratulations.
Kennedy, 55, is a Branford resident and long-time health care lawyer and advocate for people with disabilities. He won his first race for elected office in 2014 and is currently serving as co-chair of the legislature’s Environment Committee.
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“We have a great Democratic party, and when we talk to voters about what we believe in — good education, a fair days wage for a fair days work, a clean environment — all these issues resonate with voters,” he said. Earlier he spoke with Eagle editor Marcia Chambers who interviewed him for BCTV.
“Serving the people in Branford, Guilford, Madison, North Branford, Durham and Killingworth has been the honor of my life. It’s a privilege to represent each and every person,” he said.
“Being in public life today is not easy, when you see what’s happening at the national stage and in Washington D.C., the rhetoric and the gridlock that exits, it’s not easy,” Kennedy said.
He introduced his family and said, “I couldn’t do what I do without the love and support of my incredible family. So thank you guys so much.”
Kennedy’s wife Kiki told the Eagle: “I’m really thrilled for Ted. He loves this job and I think he’s done terrific work.”
Daughter Kiley told the Eagle, “I’m really proud of my Dad. I think he’s really worked hard and earned every vote.”
Son Teddy told the Eagle: “I think he’s going to do great things for Branford and for the state. Over the years, I can see more and more traits of my grandfather in my Dad. I see myself transitioning in the future— in a totally good way,” he said. “That’s the Teddy transition. First you’re Teddy, then you’re Ted, and then you’re Senator.”
Reed Returns for Fifth Term
Kennedy introduced Reed by saying, “Lonnie is one of the most respected members of the House in Hartford. “She is a tireless advocate for the people of the shoreline. She’s an expert on everything ranging from energy… to telecommunications.”
Reed is House chair of the Energy and Technology Committee; and a member of the powerful Finance Committee. She has been instrumental in bringing major bioscience businesses and major grants to Branford.
“In some ways, this was almost my favorite campaign, in terms of what we were able to do — running a clean campaign, running a civil campaign, running a campaign where we did debates that children were allowed to watch,” Reed said in her acceptance speech as more applause rocked the room.
“I had so many people come up to me and thank me and Ted as well for talking about issues that people really care about, and doing it in a way where we respect one another’s differences.”
“We need to work together,” she said. “On a national scale it’s so clear there are people who feel they’ve been kicked to the curb and left behind.” She said she has seen this in her work with the energy committee. “I see it in the energy arena, where as we move on to renewables, and we get rid of fossil fuels, people who dug coal for generations, and made very good livings … it’s like we’re done with you without finding them a way through, without finding them something that can really help lift them up and give them the future they deserve,” she said.
“We have to think more in those terms, because there are so many changes happening in the state, and in the nation and globally that are impacting all of us. And I know we are totally committed to that,” she said.
On a lighter note, Reed said “It is so much fun campaigning with the Kennedy family . There’s a lot of optimism, and a lot of fervor and a lot of interacting with our constituents in a way that is really fabulous. ..People want to know that their leaders are optimistic, that we want to solve problems, that we know who they are, and that we’re listening to them and that we will reach across the aisle to work together.”
Reed later told the Eagle: “I’m really gratified to have won a race in a troubled climate… and know that they’re trusting me to go back to Hartford and fix it.”
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She thanked her opponent Chris Kelly and the chairman of the local Republican party who came to the Italian American club to extend their wishes and pledge to work together.
Kelly told the Eagle that running for office was “an amazing process. The outreach from the community has blown me away,” he said. “I’m in it for the long run, no matter what…we feel good about the results.”
Ray Ingraham, chair of the Republican Town Committee, said he voted for Trump, even though he preferred Marco Rubio. Ingraham, who is the majority leader of the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) said he would like to see a more balance and “a better mix” in the RTM, instead of “silly opposition.”
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