Recount Flips Results Of Primary Election In Hamden

HAMDEN, CT — Hamden Democrat Jen Pope announced this week that she won’t file a legal challenge to the results of an automatic recount that flipped the results of the primary election in the 91st House District.

The recount results showed that challenger Laurie Sweet defeated Pope, the party’s endorsed candidate, by a vote of 947 to 932, according to the CT Mirror.

Pope had conceded the race to Sweet on election night after initial results showed her down 69 votes, the New Haven Register previously reported. But the final numbers submitted to the Secretary of the State’s office had Pope leading Sweet 921 to 919, according to the Register. The two-vote margin triggered an automatic recount.

The Register reported that during the recount, a missing envelope containing several ballots that weren’t included in the initial count for the Aug. 13 primary flipped the election back to Sweet.

In a statement, Pope said the recount “revealed shortcomings and legal deficiencies in Hamden’s election process that are totally unacceptable.”

“Voting is the bedrock of American democracy, and I am extremely disappointed that these issues have compounded the confusion and uncertainty around an already close race,” Pope wrote in the statement. “Each of these issues must be acknowledged and addressed prior to any vote being cast in the November election. My legal team will be outlining what we discovered from the limited review of the process we have had thus far and forwarding this information to Hamden’s Registrars of Voters and the Town Clerk’s office with the Mayor’s office copied.

“After careful consideration over the last week and discussion with my legal team, I have decided against filing a legal challenge to the result of the recount because I believe that, despite the problems with the administration of this election, Laurie won. I am extremely disappointed by this outcome, but I will instead move on to November to work to ensure that these issues are resolved and focus on electing the Harris-Walz ticket and key down ballot races preserving Democratic seats in Congress and gaining them in the General Assembly. I hope you will join me.”

Sweet, a member of the Hamden Legislative Council, commended Pope for her “commitment to a fair and transparent election process, despite the challenges we encountered.”

“I respect her decision to prioritize our community’s progress over further legal action, and I fully support the Registrar of Voters and Town Clerk’s efforts to improve the process,” Sweet said in a statement.

Read the full statement below:

See Pope’s full statement below:

Read more at the New Haven Register here, and the CT Mirror here.