Hamden Democratic Primary 2021 Results: Garrett Beats Leng

Hamden CT

15 September, 2021

2:19 AM

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HAMDEN, CT — There has never been a Hamden mayor elected to a fourth term, and that streak will continue after Lauren Garrett defeated three-term incumbent Mayor Curt Balzano Leng in the Democratic Primary election on Tuesday. Garrett, a former Legislative Councilwoman, beat Leng and Peter Cyr in a three-way primary and will now face Republican Ron Gambardella and Independent Party candidate Albert Lotto in the municipal election in November. Gambardella is making his third run for mayor. This primary election was a complete reversal from the last time Leng and Garrett squared off two years ago. In the 2019 primary, Leng was the party-endorsed candidate and swept all nine voting districts to beat Garrett. This year, Garrett received the Democratic Town Committee's endorsement in July. Leng didn't seek the party's endorsement and was looking to win a fourth full-term in office through the primary election. And this time, Garrett was the one who swept all nine voting districts on her way to victory. Garrett won by a vote of 2,962 to 1,497, according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State's Office. Cyr received 853 votes. Garrett's team of party-endorsed candidates for Town Clerk, Legislative Council and Board of Education also won all of their primaries. Garrett thanked her supporters and her team outside her home on Tuesday night. "We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we got the biggest hurdle out of the way," Garrett said in a video posted on Facebook. Garrett also thanked the voters. "We had a very decisive victory tonight, so we're all going to come together as Democrats," she said. Leng posted a message on Facebook late Tuesday night, saying the primary "didn't turn out the way our team or our supporters hoped." "I'm very proud to have helped assemble an extraordinary team of candidates, the best collective team I have ever had the privilege of run for office with, who I was sincerely excited to govern and get things accomplished with," Leng wrote in the post. "Today wasn't that springboard we had hoped for. "I called Mrs. Garrett and congratulated her for her campaign victory tonight. "What's next, some sleep .... "Then, getting back to work ensuring we do all we can to protect and preserve our public safety services, lock in our stabilized & strengthened finances and equally at the top of the list, we're going to save two neighborhood schools in Church Street and Shep Glen! "I'm sure these are things we can all agree are in all of Hamden's best interest and hopefully things we can advocate for and accomplish together. "Thank you to everyone who worked so hard for & supported our team - you have our very sincere appreciation. "Good night and we will talk again soon." Below are the unofficial results for the other races in the Democratic Primary (note: *endorsed candidate): Town Clerk *Karimah Mickens 3,333 Melinda LaVelle Saller 1,676 Council At-Large *Dominique Baez 3,300 *Katie Kiely 3,238 *Cory O'Brien 3,250 *Laurie Sweet 3,185 Rachel Scolnic Dobin 1,638 Berita Rowe Lewis 1,665 Richard Mutts 1,533 Kathleen Schomaker 1,741 Board of Education *David Asbery 3,222 *Siobhan Carter-David 3,222 *Melissa A. Kaplan-Charkow 3,270 *Mariam Khan 3,377 Frank Dixon 1,538 Nicholas McDonald 1,533 Jennifer M. Jason Sweeten 1,637 Joshua L. Watkins 1,525