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Suzio Wins District 13 State Senate Seat

Governor's tax plan may have boosted votes for Meriden businessman

It may well have been Connecticut’s first Democratic governor since 1991 who got District 13’s first Republican state senator since 1975 elected on Tuesday.

Voters in Meriden, Middlefield and parts of Cheshire and Middletown installed anti-tax Republican Len Suzio, 63, as their new state senator Tuesday,  just a week after Gov. Dannel Malloy presented a radical plan to fill the state’s deficit by cutting spending by $1.76 billion and increasing taxes by $1.51 billion.

“We were making calls last week before Malloy rolled out his plan,” said Kathy Horsky of Meriden at the Suzio reception Tuesday night. Horsky was a volunteer who had been calling local voters on behalf of Suzio. “(Afterward) I swear I saw a difference. People seemed more certain.”

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Suzio captured all four towns from Democratic challenger Thomas Bruenn, 71, in the Feb. 22 special election to fill the seat vacated by 16-year state senator Tom Gaffey (D-Meriden). Gaffey resigned prior to pleading guilty on misdemeanor charges of double-billing his political action committee and the state legislature for the same expenses. Suzio had run against him and lost three times before – most recently in Nov. 2010.

Overall, Suzio had 1,627 more total votes, with 6,110 to Bruenn’s 4,483. According to Suzio camp data:

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  • in Middlefield Suzio received 503 votes vs. Bruenn's 307;
  •  in Meriden, Suzio won 3,083 to Bruenn's 2,614;
  • in Middletown he had 950 to Bruenn's 871; and
  • in Cheshire, Suzio received a sizeable 1,574 to Bruenn’s 691.

Results started rolling into both candidates’ headquarters not long after 8 p.m. Tuesday. By 8:35, the race was done. Bruenn gave a concession speech to his supporters at 37 West Main St.

“I wouldn’t have done anything differently. The public decided Len’s ideas trumped mine,” Bruenn said.

He added that the possibility of higher taxes from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s proposed state budget affected the vote. “I think it made people nervous about the difference in cutting (the budget) or taxes. That’s part of what happened,” Bruenn said.

The special election attracted such a small voter turnout that Bruenn’s supporters said it hurt his chances for a victory.

“If there was more time to campaign there would have been a better opportunity,” said Meriden Board of Education President Mark Hughes. “The low voter turnout hurt him, especially in Meriden,” he said.

Cheshire Democratic Town Committee Vice Chairwoman Judy Villa said she thinks Suzio had tremendous name recognition from having run against former state Sen. Tom Gaffey in November. “It was such a truncated campaign,” she added.

Asked if Suzio can fight for the district in Hartford as a freshman senator, Villa said it depends on how Suzio chooses to align himself. “It depends or whether he can make an independent decision. If he can decide on the merit of a case, rather than a political stance,” she said.

After receiving a call from Bruenn, Suzio walked out into the main room of his headquarters at 1265 East Main St., and stepped onto an office chair to address the crowd of supporters that was squeezed into the storefront.

Parts of the victory speech Suzio gave echoed Bruenn’s – an example of the civility that undergirded most of this special election.

“It’s supposed to be a campaign, a contest of ideas, and our ideas won, fortunately,” he said.

Suzio said he felt that his win of a seat that has been in Democratic hands for so many years (36, according to the Hartford Courant) was a sign for Connecticut politicians in Hartford.  

“I hope this sends a message to the governor loud and clear – no more taxes,” he said. “I think this is the beginning of a conservative revolution in Connecticut.”

Soon after Suzio’s speech, Bruenn then came to the headquarters to concede in person. The two hugged, and Bruenn told the crowd, "You won, you have all my support in anything that Len needs." Adding, "You go celebrate your win, we’ll go celebrate the almost win. And we’ll all be doing what we have to do to make District 13…as good as it can possibly be."

After Bruenn left, Suzio supporters milled about the space, mingling and eating with the new state senator-elect.

"I think it's great – in the campaign back in the fall, he took a very strong anti-tax position," said Middlefield Selectman Edward Bailey of Suzio's win. He added that in this special election, " In Middlefield...the issues boiled down to taxation and spending - voters had a second chance to vote for Len."

Meriden Republican Chairman Dan Brunet said he believes this election heralds a stronger conservative party in the 13th District.

"(This election) energized the party as a whole, there are people wanting to run," Brunet said. "The change that has gone across the country has landed in Meriden."

Suzio said he is waiting to hear when he will be sworn in and begin work as a legislator.


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