Electors returned four incumbents to New Canaan’s delegation to the state legislature Tuesday, while a fourth General Assembly race has been declared too close to call.
State Sens. Ceci Maher (D-26th) and Ryan Fazio (R-36th) and State Reps. Lucy Dathan (D-142nd) and Tom O’Dea (R-125th) retained their seats during the general election, while the race for the 42nd House District remained too close to call after midnight Wednesday, according to the Norwalk Hour. Dathan ran unopposed, as did two Registrars of Voters candidates, Republican Joan McLaughlin and Democrat Liz Orteig.
Here’s a table detailing how New Canaan voted (we’ve included links to news sources calling the races, and we’ll update the right-hand column and undecided race as final numbers come in):
How New Canaan Voted: Election Day 2024 [UPDATING]
* Source: Town of New Canaan
Office Candidate & Party (winner in bold) New Canaan tally* Overall**
President and Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, Democrat 6,014
Donald Trump and JD Vance, Republican 4,600
U.S. Senate Chris Murphy, Democrat 5,498
Matthew Corey, Republican 5,149
4th Congressional Jim Himes, Democrat 5,661
Michael Goldstein, Republican 5,093
State Senate 26th Kami Evans, Republican 947
Ceci Maher, Democrat 890
State Senate 36th Ryan Fazio, Republican 5,227
Nick Simmons, Democrat 3,648
State House 42nd Savet Constantine, Democrat 399
Kim Healy, Republican 556
State House 125th Jason Bennett, Democrat 2,753
Tom O'Dea, Republican 4,603
** Awaiting final numbers from the Connecticut Secretary of the State.
Led by unaffiliated voters, who now outnumber Republicans as well as Democrats in New Canaan, electors here voted majority blue for Washington, D.C. races and red for Hartford, on an unseasonably warm and sunny day that saw strong turnout, nearly eclipsing 2020 numbers.
Here’s a look at the voter count as of Nov. 1:
New Canaan Voter Count—Nov. 1, 2024
| Democrat | Republican | Unafilliated | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26.6% (3,851) | 35.2% (5,103) | 37.1% (5,381) | 1% (156) | 14,491 |
O’Dea, a New Canaan resident said it’s been “the honor of a lifetime serving the 125th District for the last 12 years.”
“I am so very humbled and grateful for the opportunity to do so for another term,” he said in a statement to NewCanaanite.com.
O’Dea continued: “In addition to the voters in what I truly believe is the best district in the state, I want to thank my opponent Jason Bennett and his team for running an issues based campaign. I also want to thank the dozens of people on my re-election team too numerous to mention. Your friendship and support has been appreciated beyond words. A special thanks also to the players on my 8th grade football team, their parents and my fellow coaches who have done more for me than they know over the last four years. And finally, and most importantly, I want to thank my wonderful wife Kerry and my three amazing children Tommy, Caroline and Michael who have all sacrificed so much as a result of my passion for public service over the last 20 years.”
Asked for a comment on his race result, Fazio thanked New Canaan “and the entirety of my home district for once again placing their trust in me.”
“It is the honor of my lifetime to serve them and I will work as hard as I can to bring people together and protect our wonderful community,” Fazio said in a statement sent to NewCanaanite.com. “Thanks to all of my supporters and volunteers who are the reason we won our race. I will always be grateful for their effort and friendship. And know that whether you voted for me or not, I will do everything I can to represent you with integrity. We need more unity and less division in our politics. I congratulate my opponent on running a strong campaign and thank him for his willingness to serve. I know he has a lot to contribute.”
Fazio added that voters sent a “clear message” that they’re “hungry for positive leadership.”
“We must reduce electricity bills, cut taxes, protect local control of zoning and create a brighter future for all of Connecticut,” Fazio said. “After facing the most expensive state legislative campaign in Connecticut history, I am still standing. That is a testament to our message, vision, and supporters. Now the election is over and I’m excited to go back to work for our community.”
Simmons said in a statement that “[w]hile this wasn’t the outcome we hoped for, I am deeply grateful to all of our supporters for their passion and hard work throughout this campaign.”
“We put our hearts and souls into this race because we care deeply about Greenwich, Stamford, New Canaan and our collective future,” Simmons said. “These races are not about us as candidates, but about you and what we can do to make your lives better. What we can do together to ensure every family can thrive. I woke up this morning humbled and inspired by all the incredible work that was put in by our campaign team, and the hundreds of volunteers who came out to knock doors, make calls, put up lawn signs and cheer us on. My greatest hope is for those who got involved to stay inspired – the antidote to anxiety is action. And as someone who just lost a race, I have no regrets, because I can tell you there is nothing more fulfilling or rewarding than working and fighting each day for what you believe in and striving to make the world a better place.”