Torrington Recount May Tighten 8th Senate's Election Outcome

State Sen. Lisa Seminara, R-Avon, is not withdrawing her concession of the 8th State Senate election to Democrat Paul Honig.

But ballot and tabulator issues in Torrington, one of the 8th's larger communities,have prompted a recount that could show a closer race.

According to the Connecticut Secretary of the State's Office, the unofficial numbers have Harwinton's Honig with 24,082 votes, with Avon's Seminara at 22,228.

But absent from those figures are Torrington's votes, which are not finalized and will be subject to a recount on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

Torrington election officials on Election Day Nov. 5 had to deal with both ballot problems and tabulator machine issues.

The 8th State Senate District includes the towns of Norfolk, Hartland, Canton, Simsbury, New Hartford, Avon, Barkhamsted, Colebrook, Granby, Harwinton, and Torrington.

According to Seminara on Friday, the margin of victory for Honig, including Torrington's figures, is less than 1 percent, with the state's figures posted on line not including Torrington.

She issued a statement Friday afternoon on the situation, saying she doesn't think the outcome of the election will change.

“In the interest of transparency, as I have run my entire campaign, I want to share an update with 8th District constituents about the voting recount that will occur in Torrington, CT. As many of you know, Torrington is a large part of the electorate in the 8th District. The city experienced processing issues on Election Day, which have led to a recount of early voting ballots, absentee ballots, and same day registration ballots," wrote Seminara.

The recanvass in Torrington will take place Tuesday, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m. at Torrington City Hall, with the public welcome to attend.

Despite the issues in Torrington, Seminara conceded the race to Honigh Wednesday and that concession has not been withdrawn.

"While I do not anticipate this will change the election results, constituents deserve transparency and accurate information, as there have been several misleading reports of the total number of votes cast," she wrote.

"With the information provided to my campaign, thus far, my opponent is leading by less than 1 percent. Thank you again to everyone who has supported me throughout my term and this campaign. I will share an update once we know more.”

From Nov. 7: 'Honig Celebrates 8th Senate Win, First For A Dem Since 1970s'