Wallingford Recount Confirms Democrats’ Wins Over Longtime Incumbents

WALLINGFORD, CT — The results of Friday’s “discrepancy” recount in Wallingford confirmed the victories by Democrats in the town’s state senate and house of representatives races, including the losses of longtime Republican incumbents Paul Cicarella and Craig Fishbein.

The discrepancy recount was ordered after Wallingford ran out of ballots on Election Day and contingency ballots were erroneously fed into the town's tabulators.

Democrats Sam Carmody and Liz Linehan picked up wins in the state House of Representatives in the 85th and 103rd Districts, respectively.

In the race for representative in the 90th District, which includes parts of Wallingford and all of Middlefield, Democrat David Fritz defeated Fishbein and claimed the seat that was held by his mother, Mary G. Fritz, for more than 30 years. Mary Fritz died in 2016 several months after announcing her retirement. The 90th District was redrawn in 2021 with parts of Cheshire removed and more of Wallingford and all of Middlefield added.

Democrat Brandi Mandato defeated Cicarella in a rematch for the 34th state senate district, which represents Durham, East Haven, North Branford, North Haven and Wallingford, by 259 votes, according to unofficial results.

Mandato received 19,549 total votes, while Cicarella collected 19,290 votes, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of the State’s Office. Cicarella, who was first elected in 2020, defeated Mandato by nearly 6,900 votes in the 2024 election.

“While the results of this election were not what we had hoped for or anticipated, I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported me throughout my years as your State Senator,” Cicarella said in a statement. “First, I want to thank my loving family, my dedicated staff, and the many volunteers who have stood beside me. Your hard work, sacrifices, and unwavering support have meant more to me than words can express.

“To the thousands of people across our district who placed their trust in me, thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve you and your families. From my very first day in office, I have always taken pride in working for you and bringing your voice to Hartford. That commitment has guided every decision I’ve made and every effort to make sure your voices were heard at the State Capitol.

“I am proud of what we have accomplished together, while recognizing there is still important work to be done. Above all, I will cherish the many remarkable people I’ve had the privilege of meeting, the relationships we’ve built, and the opportunities we’ve had to make a positive difference. Serving you has truly been one of the greatest honors of my life, and I will always be grateful for the trust and support you have shown me.”

Mandato said she was “incredibly proud and humbled” to be the next state senator for the 34th District, and thanked Cicarella for his “service to the district and his work in our communities.”

“This is the second time I’ve asked for this job,” Mandato said in a statement. “I never set out to run for office. I ran because I see what working families in our community are up against every day. Families struggling to afford rent or stay in their homes. Seniors on fixed incomes watching their bills climb. Families worried about the future of our public schools. Working people paying more and more while the wealthiest corporations and individuals, those who benefit the most from public investment, don’t pay their fair share.

“None of this is inevitable. These are policy choices. And we can make different choices that put people before profits and make our communities more affordable, equitable, and stronger for everyone.

“To every volunteer who knocked a door, every neighbor who put up a sign, every person who made a call, shared a post, or believed in this campaign: thank you. And to Steve and our girls, who gave up so many nights and weekends to make this possible, I could never thank you enough.

“We did this together. We owe each other everything. Now let’s get to work.”