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11/11/2018 11:00 PMFollowing a recount that took multiple hours across two days, Republican incumbent Noreen Kokoruda was declared the winner of the race for the 101st House of Representatives seat on Nov. 12, defeating Democratic challenger John-Michael Parker.
Once all the votes between Madison and Durham were counted, Kokoruda took in a total of 6,259 votes and Parker took in a total of 6,241, giving Kokoruda a margin of victory of 18 votes. Kokoruda thanked voters for their support following the recount.
“I want to congratulate John Michael Parker on a great job of campaigning and running such a positive campaign,” she said. “The fact that he worked full time campaigning for over six months is remarkable. I want to extend a special thank you to everyone who supported me. I feel very humbled and fortunate to have won, given my health challenges since last spring. I know my energy level wasn’t what I wanted this campaign so I thank so many constituents for recognizing all of my work over the years. I’m happy to say that my prognosis is excellent going forward. As always, I will never forget who I represent and I will never take my eye off the ball in my commitment to my district and every constituent. What I think we have discovered over the past couple of years is that elections are less and less about the candidate and more about party affiliation. I have a reputation for being very bipartisan but unfortunately that is no longer where we are headed. There is much work ahead and the fiscal crisis of our state is real. I plan to do everything I can to work with the new administration. Again thank you to all who voted to allow me to be your voice. It truly is a great honor.”
Following the final vote count, Parker also thanked his supporters and said he is looking forward to what comes next for him.
“It has been an extraordinary privilege to run for state representative here in the place I was born and raised, and I will be forever grateful for the experience,” he said. “I am proud of our team for all we accomplished, thankful to my community for their thoughtful and passionate engagement throughout the process, and heartened about the future of Connecticut—and our country. The people of Madison and Durham (and, indeed, of the United States) have made clear that in a political and cultural moment that seems to reward division and partisanship, a campaign run on positivity, hope, and coming-together can have a real impact at the polls. I have congratulated Noreen on her victory and look forward to supporting her work over the next two years. And I am eager to serve the community and the state I love in some other capacity by working on the issues of equity, opportunity, and growth that motivated so many to join our campaign and show up on November 6 to vote. Thank you to the election officials who went above and beyond in completing this recount, and to everyone who stuck with us through to the very end. I hope you’ll stay with us for the next chapter.”
The recount took place in both Durham and Madison, the two towns within the 101st district. The recount in Durham took place on Nov. 9 and lasted seven hours and the recount in Madison took place on Nov. 12 and lasted over 11 hours.
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