The More Things Change …

Details are still coming in, but overall results from last night’s state legislative races look remarkably similar to last election’s: a 22-14 split in the Senate, and a 99-52 split in the House, Democrats keeping the same majority margins.
But there are asterisks–a contest to be settled by automatic recount (House 106^th) and another outcome (House 105^th) in question.
Amazingly, given all of the money and energy spent on more than 100 “live” state campaigns (40 seats were uncontested this year), there were few surprises. Chief of which were:

• Energy Committee Co-Chair Rep. Vicki Nardello (D-Prospect) lost to Republican challenger Lezlye Zupkus (a CBIA endorsee).
• State Sen. Len Suzio (R-Meriden) lost to Democrat Dante Bartolomeo
• Rep. William Wadsworth (R-Farmington) lost to Democrat Michael Demicco

Twenty-eight incumbent state legislators either decided not to run for reelection, or were defeated in primaries, creating “open” seats.
Of the four open seats in the Senate, Democrats took two and Republicans two. In the House, Democrats took 16 of 24 open seats.
Connecticut is known as the Land of Steady Habits, and that’s pretty much reflected in the legislative outcomes.
What is to be decided, however, is how those 151 state lawmakers will approach the key issues facing Connecticut—not enough jobs, slow economic growth, and a state budget that won’t balance despite record tax increases.
Now that they’ve won election or reelection, the responsibility falls on our state legislators to work with the administration to help Connecticut’s recovery come more quickly and strongly.