South Windsor Faces Lawsuit Over Town Council Election Results

SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — A lawsuit has been filed over who won a seat on the Town Council last week - a Democrat or a Republican.

Harrison Amadasun, a Democratic candidate for Town Council, is the plaintiff in the lawsuit, which was filed in Superior Court in Hartford Monday. It names Town Clerk Bonnie Armstrong as the defendant.

The South Windsor Democratic Town Committee announced the litigation Monday.

Democrats assert that Amadasun, who got 3,847 votes, beat out Republican Rick Balboni, who garnered 2,937 votes.

Democrats claim recently approved charter revisions were meant to apply to future election cycles, not the current one.

A public notice announced the changes are effective as of Nov. 5, 2025.

An approved charter revision includes language that “at no time will there be more than a bare majority of any one political party on the Town Council.” With nine members on the council, that means only five could come from one particular party.

If this change is effective immediately, then Democrats should get five spots and Republicans should get four spots on the Town Council, based on November vote tallies. That would mean Balboni, who got the fourth-highest number of votes among the Republican candidates, won a seat.

The lawsuit asserts that the town’s Charter Revision Commission approved a November 2, 2027 adoption date for the revisions to sections which deal with the composition of the Town Council.

Therefore, the lawsuit claims Democrats should get six seats and the Town Council spot should go to Amadasun, because all six Democratic candidates for Town Council secured more votes than any Republican candidates, results show.

Amadasun, with 3,847 votes, got the smallest number of votes among the six Democratic candidates for Town Council.

Anitha Elango, chair of the South Windsor Democratic Town Committee, said it retained Hartford-based attorney John Kennelly to file the lawsuit.

Democrats claim town leaders “unilaterally” declared the charter changes retroactive, stripping Amadasun of his seat and giving it to Balboni.

“Since last Wednesday, we have attempted to negotiate in good faith, defending the rights of South Windsor voters who clearly elected six Democrats to the Town Council,” Elango said.

According to Elango, Democrats are left with “no choice but to go to court to protect those voter rights.”

Amadasun added, “Every voter deserves to know their vote counts.”

Balboni said Tuesday he does not want to comment on an ongoing legal issue.

“The voters of South Windsor have spoken, they made their voices heard by approving the town charter revision as it was written,” Balboni said.

He noted that he voted against the revisions while on the Town Council, calling them “not well thought out.”

“What I don't support is the wasting of town resources and funds in an effort to overturn the will of the people,” Balboni said, via email Tuesday.

On his Facebook page, he posted a video of his recent swearing-in and thanked those who voted for him.

“Your trust and encouragement mean the world to me,” Balboni said, in the post. “This year's charter changes made it possible for me to be one of the winners in this election, and I'm truly honored even though I voted against the changes and against the referendum itself.”

Read more:
South Windsor Election Results 2025: Vote Totals For Every Race, Ballot Questions